The Rose
by MusicoftheNight008
Summary: Life, as well as love, is like a rose. It is one of the most beautiful things in life to see, but it also has the potential for incredible pain.    America/Fem!Canada.
1. Chapter 1: Fate

**The Rose**

Chapter 1:

If one were to be standing outside the door to apartment five, the smells of cinnamon and vanilla would assault their senses, along with the crisp, cool morning air. A young woman in her twenty-third year stood in her kitchen, in the process of putting her long blonde hair into a bun as she made breakfast. She was off to her first job in a few minutes, and was just finishing getting dressed. Looking in the mirror, the young girl brought a few strands of hair down to frame her face, put on pearl stud earrings, smoothed out her knee-length skirt and blouse, and returned to the kitchen.

She just took a bite from her cinnamon bun when the phone rang. Setting the warm bun back down, she chewed quickly before answering the phone on the wall.

"Hello?"

"_Bonjour, _Madeline!"

"Oh _bonjour papa_. How are you?"

"I'm fine, my dear. I just wanted to see how you were doing- we haven't spoken in a few days!"

Madeline went back to her food and began to eat during the intervals of their conversation. "I'm fine, thank you. I know, I'm sorry, I have been so busy lately. What, with the waitressing job, and now I just got that job at the chocolate store..."

"Really? You did not tell me you found a second job! _Félicitations_!"

"_Merci, papa._ It was a little sudden, but I thought it would both keep me busy during the summer, and the extra income..." She swallowed down some milk before walking over to the sink and cleaning off her dishes.

"Ever the clever one. Well, as long as it isn't too much for you..."

"No no, it will be just fine. I have had a few shifts there already and it is nice. And speaking of which, I'm off to the restaurant now. Call you when I get home?"

"That sounds nice. Have a nice shift, Madeline."

"Thank you! Have a good day, talk to you later!"

After she hung up with her father, she grabbed her purse, keys, turned off all of the lights, slipped on her low heels and was just about to leave before the phone rang again. Darting to it, she picked it up quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hello, beautiful."

"Lars! Hi!"

A deep chuckle from the other side of the line. "You sound busy."

"I'm sorry, I was just stepping out the door to go to work."

"That's no problem. I was just curious if we were still seeing each other tonight?"

Madeline smiled softly at the uncertainty in her boyfriends voice. "Yes, yes we are. I'm off at five and you were going to pick me up...?"

"Yes! Yes I am. So I'll let you go, and see you then?"

"I look forward to it. See you, Lars."

"'Til then, Maddie."

She hung up the phone with a faint smile and finally left her home. Her work was close enough- a ten minute walk if she is lucky so she had no reason to drive. The weather was beautiful out, the sun warm, its rays warming her skin and illuminating her golden hair. The skies were clear, and when she checked the radio, there was no report of rain in the forecast. Perfect.

She was admiring all of the houses and trees along the street, wishing that she could live in a little home of her own. Madeline had that little dream, a dream of raising a family, running a household, growing her own garden, and growing old with the man she loved. She wanted to see her grandchildren grow up and hold them to her- tell them stories of herself and her family.

So lost in her daydreams, she did not notice a man walking in the direction she was coming from. He too was slightly lost in his own thoughts, but they were slightly different from hers. He was thinking of how different civilian life was in comparison to the military. He just left due to injury, but he lived that life since he was eighteen so it was hard to adjust a little. But with his charisma and insatiable curiosity, it wasn't _too_ hard for him to find work and friends. He fiddled with his tie absentmindedly before his hand curled to the back of his neck.

The two did not notice each other until it was too late. Luckily Madeline was able to turn her head before her glasses were smashed against the man's broad chest. Surprised, he looked down and quickly grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Whoa! I'm sorry, miss, are you alright?"

Madeline shook her head slightly, adjusted her frames and looked up at the man. He was tall with short, golden hair. He had one tuft of hair that did not want to stay down- something she knew all about. The sun reflected from his thin frames, but it wasn't enough to hide his eyes. His eyes were like the sky she had just admired- a beautiful clear blue. They had a look of concern in them which snapped her out of her little inspection.

"Y-yes! I'm fine, thank you very much. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought."

"It's no problem, I was as well."

She noticed that he was looking at her quite intently, an easy smile on his face, and a particular look in his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she could tell that this man was probably the type all the girls went crazy over. A trait that usually meant they were a walking red flag to stay away from.

Straightening her shoulders, she shrugged him off slightly. "Well, sorry again about that, but I must be going."

He took that as his cue to let go, which he did and stepped to the side. "Have a good day, miss...?"

She really did not want to tell him her name. She had no interest in him at all-

"Madeline."

Her name escaped her lips before her thought was even able to finish. He flashed that grin to her again before taking one of her hands and bowing over it.

"My name is Alfred. Alfred Jones."

Rolling her eyes, she took her hand away, nodded, and began to pass him. She was not aware of how pink her face was becoming, nor of the sky blue gaze trained on her back.


	2. Chapter 2: The Boyfriend

The day went by surprisingly fast for Madeline. Her work was almost done, roughly half an hour longer. The customers today were kind, not overbearing or demanding at all, which was always a bonus. She was just talking with the hostess, a young new hire named Bella. The two got along pretty well so far. They were just asking each other questions, getting to know the other better, when three loud men came through the door. Of course the loud noise drew the two girls attention, but what she saw quickly made her walk to the backroom. It was none other than that man she saw earlier today.

* * *

><p>Alfred had arrived home to find a few missed calls, one from his friend Gilbert. Gilbert's call was a request for Alfred to join him and Mathias out for dinner and then out around the town. Never turning down an invitation like that, Alfred quickly called back and drove to meet up with them. He knew Gilbert from the military- Alfred left before him- but Mathias he met outside of the forces. They all quickly became good friends, and always went out as a trio.<p>

Gilbert was the one who suggested the restaurant, mainly because it was closer when Alfred declared he was hungry, and also because he was in the mood to try it out. None of them had been there before, and they were always up for new experiences. Alfred never would have thought that Madeline would have been there- let alone an employee.

He saw her before she saw him, so he was able to look at her openly. She was absolutely gorgeous. Madeline was shorter than him with a petite frame, and a body that set his on fire. Her hair looked like satin and how he wished he could take it down to run his fingers through it. To feel the cool, soft hair on his skin, to touch her- his thoughts broke off when her violet eyes turned on him. She had the most unusual and exotic eyes he had ever seen. The other two were talking and laughing, and while he had a large smile and responded to them, he was staring fixedly on her. This must have unnerved her, for she quickly ran away, leaving her co-worker standing there confused. He watched her leave with a small smile as Gilbert asked for a booth.

"Sure, just this way..." the young woman told them, directing towards the left of the restaurant, and to a large booth for them. They all sat down, Alfred on the outside by Gilbert, while Mathias sat on the other side. Handing all of them menus, she said by rote, "thank you, your waitress will be right with you."

The men thanked the woman and eased back into their conversations, now talking over their menus. Alfred was half listening and reading, while the other half looked around the room, hoping to see a halo of blonde.

* * *

><p>'<em>You have got to be kidding me!<em>'

Madeline cried out mentally. Sure enough, her friend sent the group to her side of the room. Yes, she had a cover soon, but it was nowhere soon enough. She was confused on how he managed to find her, how he managed- out of all the restaurants- to go to hers. But she couldn't hide forever, so she just habitually smoothed out her clothes, and walked to their table with a pad of paper and pen.

He saw her coming. She tried not to look at him, she really did, but it was so hard to _not _look at him. He was the kind of man who took control of a room when he entered it, and all attention somehow went to him. His electric blue gaze ensnared her own, and she felt her body heating up. Madeline cleared her throat before coming to the table, and made a point to not look at him when she said her speech.

"Hello! My name is Madeline and I shall be your waitress for tonight. Can I get you boys anything to drink first?"

Gilbert, who Alfred was sure did not know the meaning of subtlety, looked her up and down. He requested his drink in a (laughable) seductive voice. Madeline took it in stride, something Alfred had to commend her over, and continued down the table. Finally, she had to look at Alfred.

"...and yourself?"

He looked up at her and give her a warm smile. "Hello, Madeline."

Alfred loved how pink her face became when she felt embarrassed, or what that anger?

"H-hello, Alfred. What can I get you?"

"What can you get me? Hmm..." he played this question around a bit, all the while looking into her eyes and watching her squirm.

"I would love a coke, if you please."

In a pinched voice, she said she would return with their drinks as they looked over the menu some more. Just as she was far enough away, Mathias exclaimed to Alfred, "hey! You know her?"

Gilbert asked the same thing, although he was a little more upset over the fact his own attempt did nothing.

"You could say that..."

He set his elbows on the table, clasped his hands and watched Madeline bustle about to get their drinks. There was something about this woman. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and the moment he saw her, he felt happy. When he looked at her, he saw picket fences, wedding rings, and baby cribs. He did not know how to explain it, but he knew he wanted her, and it wasn't only lust. He wanted to know her- to know her mind, how she thinks, her opinions. He was the kind that wouldn't stop at anything, and he wouldn't stop his attempts to talk to her. He just had to bide his time, and wait for the right moment to learn more about his cute little Maddie.

She was just about to bring the drinks back to the table, her hands a little shaky, when her friend Erzsébet came by.

"Who is that man, Maddie? He seems to be quite interested in you..."

"I just bumped into him earlier in the street, I barely know him!" Madeline hissed back. "He probably is just looking for a good time, something I'm not available, nor willing, to give."

Erzsébet just smiled at her before looking back at the table. "That red eyed one looks kind of interesting..."

"You _would_ say that. Anyway, I just have to give them their drinks, I'll talk to you in a minute."

With that Madeline made her way back to the table. She told herself that she would not let Alfred get to her this time. She was in a tolerable relationship with Lars, and she was not about to let some lady-killer get to her head. Placing the drinks before the correct man, she looked at them all this time and asked if they were ready.

Gilbert of course tried again, asking her for his chosen meal with a seductive purr. Alfred had to suppress a laugh when she looked at him confused and went to Mathias again. Gazing at her as she took his order, he noticed how her long graceful fingers held the pen. As her violet orbs turned to him, there was a look of barely veiled contempt in them.

"How about you?"

Giving her a large smile, he said, "I was thinking about this one. What do you think?"

He purposefully held it a bit away, which caused her to stand a bit closer to him so she could read it. Sitting close to the end, he was able to detect a faint perfumed smell. It was fresh and crisp, with a faint floral smell that went straight to his head.

"The chicken parmesan? I have not heard any complaints on that one...I like it." She looked over at him, seeing the satisfied smile much closer than she wanted to. Straightening up quickly, she looked at him coolly. "So did you want-"

"If you like it, then I'm sure it is good. Yes, I'll have that."

She wrote it down with sharp jabs to the pad, took the menus from the other men with a smile, but snatched it away from Alfred. "Thank you." And with that, she walked away.

Mathias laughed, "I don't think she likes you, bro."

Alfred just shrugged his shoulders before leaning back against the booth. "We'll see about that..."

* * *

><p>Running around her tables, Madeline was relieved to find someone else gave <em>that<em> table their food. She stopped by occasionally to check up on them, but it was very quick. When she saw that they had finished their meals, she sighed and walked over to them.

She asked the typical question if they liked their meals, or if they wanted dessert. She thought she heard the red-eyed friend say something in a different language, but other than that nothing. They all requested their own bills, which they received. Each paid one at a time, and Madeline was surprised when Alfred paid. He tipped her almost ten dollars more than what was considered polite. She was about to question him, but he just nodded his head slightly, looking at her with a small smile.

"You have excellent taste, Maddie. Thank you for the suggestion."

She stood there, slightly dumbfounded for a moment before thanking him in a small voice. Turning to the rest of them, she thanked them all and wished them a good night.

She just walked into the backroom with the dishes, but Erzsébet took them from her.

"Wait what are you-"

"Lars is here for you. You can just leave now, I'll clean your table for you." She said this as she walked out to the floor.

"Thank you!" she called out gratefully as she took off her small waist apron. She started to walk towards the front, taking out her hair as she walked. When she saw Lars up ahead she was about to smile and walk faster up to him, but something stopped her. He was talking to Bella, smiling and laughing with her and standing very close. That is until he saw her coming. Turning, Lars smoothed his expression before he greeted her with a close hug and a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek. He murmured something to Bella before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the place.

* * *

><p>Alfred was not happy. Of course he saw her as she left the back, he had just got up from the table and was nearing the front, waiting for Gilbert. Gilbert was still by the table, talking to the young woman cleaning it off. So Alfred and Mathias just stood by the door, off to the side as they watched Gilbert fail at seduction once more. That is, until Alfred saw Maddie. When she took her hair down, he had to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. Her hair was longer than he thought, almost down to the small of her back. '<em>How did she manage to keep all of that up there?' <em>he thought in wonder. Trying to be as subtle as possible, he watched to see where she was going in such a hurry. What he saw made his heart ache. Looking to the floor, his hands balled into tight fists, the ugly feeling of jealousy beginning to suffocate him.

He tried to suppress any negative thoughts...not every relationship is happy, not everyone lasts. But...if she were happy with that man...he would be content to just be friends.

...Partially.

He looked around with little interest, and the rest of the night went by as a slight blur.


	3. Chapter 3: A Spark

"What was that?" Erzsébet called out to Madeline, the blow-dryer loud in her ear.

Laughing, Madeline walked over and turned off the machine. "I _said_ that I love this song."

It was Friday night and the two girls were getting ready for a night of clubbing. Pre-drinks set, they were styling their hair while listening to music. Erzsébet finished her hair- long and curly with her signature flower set in. Madeline was amazed by her outfit- a snug one-piece in a deep green which accented her pink flower and brown hair beautifully.

Madeline on the other hand felt like doing something a little different today. Giving herself a slight cat eye look with liner, she donned a sleek black dress with high red pumps. Her hair she had down as well, long and wavy. Tonight she chose to wear her contacts, seeing as the glasses could get in the way of her dancing.

Adjusting the top of her dress, which was a plunging v-line, she looked to Erzsébet nervously. "Liz, you sure this isn't too...?"

The older woman laughed and went over behind her, looking in the mirror. "Not at all! If Lars were there, I'm sure he would want to eat you up right then and there. Or maybe...maybe Gilbert's friend?" A wink.

Madeline felt a sudden pang in her chest. Lars. He had been acting strange lately. He was more than willing to meet her at the restaurant, and even come _in_ to get her. Each and every time she found him talking with Bella. She thought one time he even left with her, but she chose to think she was mistaken. But she was quick to come out of those thoughts at the mention of Alfred.

"_Hush_! I'm not interested in Alfred, don't talk about that!"

"Aaah, _Alfred _is it? Sounds like you might be. And are you blushing? I knew it! You like him don't you? Trying to make it seem like you don't like him...I can see right through you, little Maddie."

Erzsébet broke out into a fit of giggles at Madeline's mortified expression. Touching her face, she found that she was a little flushed at the thought of Alfred seeing her. Walking over to the kitchen counter, she took a deep swig of her Crown Royal. She needed this night of fun.

"Well, if you're ready...shall we call the taxi?"

* * *

><p>The club was extremely packed that night, and Alfred pushed through the crowd, hoping to find the two familiar faces he was after.<p>

He looked over the sea of people and always saw the same thing. People who were there for a good time, people who were looking for a good time. No one ever sparked his interest, not even the women with killer bodies who threw themselves at him. Looking up to the VIP lounge he finally spotted Gilbert and Mathias. He was almost to the stairs when he saw Gilbert flail madly towards the door. Turning, he saw what caused his reaction.

In walked Madeline with the woman from her work in tow. It was as though she had an aura around her, and Alfred's vision soon became tunnelled. He felt his body heat up, his heart accelerate and breathing quicken. Looking her up and down, he bit his lip as he took in her attire. Her delectable body was wrapped in that dress, with a fair amount of skin revealed. This pleased him, but it also sent a shock through his system. He didn't want anyone else to see her body, to be able to touch her skin- wait what was he talking about...she had a boyfriend.

Turning back around, he made his way up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"You sure this club is better than the last one?" Maddie asked her friend in an exasperated voice. The last one had the worst music, the people were irritating, and the drinks were expensive. And don't even get her started on the first club.<p>

"Yes! Don't worry about it, I'm told this one is the best in town."

"...then why didn't we go here first?"

Erzsébet gave her a glare before grabbing her hand and pulling her over to the bar. They ordered two shots each, downed them quickly and wormed their way through to the dance floor. By this time Madeline was a little more than tipsy and her quiet demeanour was out the window. This was just fuelled by Erzsébet's wild and fun-loving personality so she found herself dancing without a care.

* * *

><p>Alfred met up with the other two, sitting down and stealing Gilbert's drink as he ogled over the two women who stole their attention. He tried to follow Gilbert's line of sight and after a while he found Madeline. In the middle of the dance floor she was dancing without any reservation- yet still remained classy, something he enjoyed. His body was on fire, and nothing was helping. The way her body moved to the beat, the way her clothing clung to her delicate curves. How she threw her head back and the tantalizing skin of her neck was exposed, asking, <em>begging<em> for attention.

He downed the rest of his drink and looked to Gilbert. He was staring at them as well, but he had a feeling it was more towards the other woman. Mathias on the other hand was looking at the other side of the bar, towards a lone woman waiting for her drink with long silvery-blonde hair. Setting the drink down he looked to Madeline.

"Shall we, boys?"

* * *

><p>Holding hands with Erzsébet, the two of them used the other to dance along with the music, laughing the entire time. Madeline had not had this much fun in a long time, and she was getting quite involved with the music...as well as quite intoxicated. The pair separated, and Madeline closed her eyes, swaying her hips and turned around slightly. Upon opening her eyes she found herself face to face with the ever present Alfred Jones.<p>

"Well hello there, Madeline."

'_Did he always have such a seductive voice?' _she thought to herself staring up at him.

"Hey." She responded simply.

Undeterred, he held his hands up and out to the sides. "Care to dance?"

She was just about to give a negative response when all of a sudden he began to dance like a fool- making wild gestures and body waves. Madeline couldn't help but burst out laughing, reaching out to him and grasping his shoulders.

"No no no! Stop! Oh please...you really don't know how to dance, do you?"_ A quip_.

"...How about you teach me?" _A challenge._

Madeline looked up at him under her lashes before smirking. _Challenge accepted_.

She slowly brought her hands down his chest, nails softly applying pressure as she went. She started to move her hips and shoulders to the beat, bringing her body closer to him as she did. Her hands continued their descent until she left his torso to grab his hands. Bringing them around her body she turned, bringing his hands to her waist. Going a little slower she brought him closer as she pushed back, bringing her ass to his groin. Grinding against him softly, she turned her head to the side so her face was at his neck, her breath on his skin.

Alfred was losing his self control and he was losing it fast. '_This was a mistake...!' _he groaned mentally. He never would have thought she would react to his teasing in this way. Just as he was about to hold her closer he felt her draw away.

"Ma-"

She looked up at him with a pink face. "There is your free lesson. After that I start charging," and with that she walked away, leaving him hot and bothered.

'_What the hell was that. What the _hell _was _that!' she cried out to herself as she stalked to the bathroom. Walking to the sink she stared at herself in the mirror. Hair slightly mussed, she otherwise looked quite lively and invigorated. Her eyes were shining, her face blushing. She had never felt such a reaction like this before. Alfred managed to awaken something in her that she did not even know was there...and it almost scared her. But at the same time it excited her, and she didn't want the feeling to go away. She held her hands close to her chest, the feeling of his large hands still present on hers.

She did not know what to think. He infuriated her for some reason, but when she thought about it, she had no idea why. The man didn't really do anything to her since the beginning- nothing offensive in the slightest. So why did she act so cold towards him? Why does she feel this way? Confused and tired, Madeline pulled away from the sink and went to go look for Erzsébet.

Just as she was passing the front doors, she looked over and saw the back of a tall man with spiked auburn hair. Beside him, and very close, stood a shorter woman who had her hand placed lovingly on his lower back. Madeline stopped and stared. '_Could that be...'_ but she was unable to fully scrutinize before the door shut.

Hands grasped her shoulders, causing her to jump and turn around. Erzsébet stood behind her with hair slightly messy and swollen lips. Madeline's eyes widened.

"You didn't."

"I did."

"Gilbert?"

"Good guess."

"Liz!"

Erzsébet laughed merrily. "Oh come on, Maddie. It was all in good fun. Besides, I haven't had that kind of attention in a while."

"I guess...hey, let's go home, it is getting late."

The brunette nodded and took her hand, leading the way out of the club. Madeline was just opening the door when she felt the need to look back.

Her eyes immediately found a tall blonde with sky blue eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who likes the story thus far!

Also, humblest apologies. I should have done this before:

**Maddie**= Canada  
><strong>Alfred<strong>= America  
><strong>Lars<strong>= Netherlands  
><strong>ErzsébetElizabeth/Liz** = Hungary (in Hungarian spelling. I wanted to do it that way *shrugs*)  
><strong>Mathias<strong>= Denmark  
><strong>Gilbert<strong>= Prussia  
><strong>Bella<strong> = Belgium


	4. Chapter 4: Flowers and Coffee

And this is why Madeline does not drink very often. Clutching her head, she rolled over in the bed, burying her face into a stuffed bear nearby. Her head felt like it was going to explode and her whole body ached. She kicked off her covers and just laid there in her silk nightgown, trying to will her headache away.

She was not sure how much time went by, nor if she fell back asleep, but the next thing she knew was that she was thirsty and wanted Tim Hortons badly. Unfortunately for her there were none nearby, so she had to take what she was given. Washing her face quickly, she threw on her favourite red hoodie before looking out the window. Raining. Perfect. Madeline walked to her closet and opened up the door, looking for her umbrella. After about ten minutes of searching she went to her bedroom. It was nowhere to be seen, and she soon grew frustrated.

Suddenly she recalled a few days prior. Lars was over, for about maybe five minutes, to visit and try to cop a feel. After she denied him anything more than a kiss, he went to leave but stopped after seeing it started to rain. Walking over to her closet, he grabbed her umbrella.

"Hey wait! That's-"

"It's raining and I do not want my hair to be ruined. I will give it back to you tomorrow," and with that he stormed out of her apartment.

"...my only one," she finished to the door.

Great. So now she had to walk to get coffee, hung over, and now soaking wet. But instead of just settling with coffee at home, Madeline decided to go out anyway. Flipping up her hood just before walking out, she started a brisk walk. Hands in her pockets, she thought of the night before, but found that she couldn't for very long. She was still surprised over her actions. To dance close and intimately with a complete strang-

"Madeline?"

Her head snapped up and to the left upon hearing her name. Beside her stood none other than Alfred. He held an umbrella over both of their heads, shielding her effectively from the rain.

"Alfred!" she squeaked. Clearing her throat, she tried talking again. "Alfred. What are you doing?" '_Does he have a tracker on me or something?'_ she thought sardonically.

"Well, I am off to work in a little while so I was about to go get lunch. But when I saw you, I felt the need to catch up and offer you some shelter."

He smiled down to her with a wide grin, ever cheerful. She found herself returning the smile, and giving him a small thanks.

They walked in companionable silence for a few moments until Madeline looked to him.

"What do you do?"

"I just started a job as a structural engineer. I make calculations, make sketches, drafts, supervise..." He trailed off, laughing slightly. His heart made a slight leap, not only from her amiable nature, but how she inquired about him. Improvement.

"That sounds fascinating. Do you like it so far?"

"Definitely! I learned the trade while in the military and it really paid off."

"You were in the military?" Madeline asked in amazement. Images of him in a military uniform filled her mind, causing her to look down and away. This man seemed to become more and more interesting every time she saw him...which seemed to be almost every second day. Yes, the town was small, but she never thought it was possible to see one person so frequently.

"Yep, since I was 18 years old!"

"That's amazing..." she said with sincerity, giving him a small smile.

He smiled back at her, a faint pink high on his cheeks. It soon faded into a look a bit more sombre and he stopped, forcing her to. Alfred looked down to his shoes for the longest time, an unsure air to him. Finally he looked up at her with a vulnerable look in his eyes.

"Madeline...I know...that we have started off on the wrong foot for some reason, but...I was wondering if we could start over?" It was only after he finished his question that he was able to look her in the eyes.

She searched his eyes, her mind suddenly filled with hundreds of different ways to respond. Unable to look at him herself now, she looked to the ground.

"I would like that."

Bringing her gaze back to his, she found that his eyes were lit up with a look of pure joy. The grey, rainy day seemed to dim everything around them, washing away the saturation until only he stood out in full colour. His eyes drew her in, mesmerizing and tender.

He held out his free hand, "Hello, my name is Alfred Jones."

"My name is Madeline Bonnefoy. A pleasure to meet you."

* * *

><p>The two of them walked to a nearby coffee shop, sitting down and talking over their coffee. Madeline learned a fair amount from Alfred in that short time. He was 26, born and raised in America with his mother while his father remained in England. He implored Alfred to move to England, but Alfred stayed with his mother, and even took her maiden name. When he was just about to join the army, she passed away, leaving him to fend for himself. His father did help and lived with him for a few months, but Alfred felt the need to remain on his own. He chose to left the forces around the same time he hurt his leg. Luckily it wasn't serious and he barely said much about it. After leaving the forces he spent his time fixing his house and getting a job.<p>

Madeline was fascinated as well learning about Alfred. She never would have thought he was so responsible and an over achiever like this. He seemed to have his life under control- a fact that made her feel at ease. Also from listening to how easily he spoke, she saw how energetic he can be, as well as comical. He was the talkative type who loved to learn new things and how things work. Gesturing with his hands excitedly, she found herself smiling behind her cup. Never before had she met someone who could make her laugh so hard, and so often. Be it from actual jokes, or just his crazy mannerisms.

Alfred also learned much on Madeline. She was 23, Canadian born and an American citizen for only a few years. She lived with her father until she moved to America for school. She was almost finished her Communications degree and hopes to become a writer or journalist. Her father was from France and moved to Canada to be with her and her mother, but they separated when she was a young girl. She stayed with her father, and he stayed in Canada for her.

Madeline stared at her empty cup then back to Alfred. Hand on his chin, he looked to his watch then to her with a half smile.

"I still have about half an hour until I need to be at work. Care to window shop?"

"That sounds nice to me," she said, already getting up and out of habit motioning to grab Alfred's garbage as well. He tried to stop her, but she was already at the garbage.

"You didn't have to do that," he said laughing.

"Habit I guess."

* * *

><p>They started to walk again down the street, Alfred holding the umbrella above them. Madeline knew her hair was probably a mess, but she did not care at that moment. He didn't give her the impression that she needed to show off for him, so she didn't feel insecure.<p>

As she was walking, her eye was caught on another store. Madeline stopped dead in her tracks, and walked toward the window of a store, making Alfred follow after her quickly to keep her covered. Inside, it was filled with various kinds of flowers, plants, and herbs.

Alfred looked from her to the store. "You like flowers, do ya?"

She nodded and looked up at him with a huge smile. "I do."

"Then...let's go inside and check it out."

Her face lit up and she quickly ducked into the store, not waiting for him.

Walking inside, Alfred thought that he may not know much about flowers, but they were nice to look at. While his attention was caught by a particularly lovely carnation, he saw Madeline make a beeline straight towards the back of the store. Following curiously, he saw her stand amongst dozens of roses. The sight bolted him to the floor. Suddenly, all he could see was her with roses in her hair, wearing a pale sundress as she laughed up at him. The flowers paled in comparison to her, and if anything, complimented her beauty.

"Aren't these beautiful?" she asked him somewhat breathlessly.

Looking at her, he responded with voice equal to her own. "Definitely."

She looked over at him and smiled again. "I love roses so much. They are my absolute favourite flower. My garden would have hundreds of them! I also love how each colour has a meaning, and the symbolism of it..."

Alfred just watched her with a small smile, enjoying how zealous she was. Suddenly, she looked at her watch and exclaimed softly.

"Oh no! It's getting late! I'm sorry for keeping you..."

"It was no problem," he responded simply. "Believe me."

They walked to the door, Alfred opening the umbrella as he stepped out before holding the door open for her. Standing in front of the store, Alfred gave her the handle for her to hold as he flipped up his hood.

"Well, I guess I should be off to work."

"Okay, here is your um-"

"Nope! You can keep it. I'm not that far from work and you just dried off! ...Besides, your hair is making the cutest curls, and I wouldn't want to see them destroyed." He tugged on one of her longer curls just to have it bounce back slightly.

She swatted his hand away good naturedly. "Very funny. But I can't just take your umbrella and have you get wet on your way to work."

"I will hear no arguments. You're holding it anyway! Take care!"

And with a laugh he went to walk away. Madeline hesitated for a moment but grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

"Wait! Uhm...how will I give it back to you?"

The tall blonde looked down to her and gave his signature cocky smile, teeth a perfect white.

"Well. I guess we need to see each other again, don't we?"

She clutched the handle to the umbrella a little tighter and nodded. "I work an afternoon shift tomorrow at my other job...we could meet up then?"

"Works for me! Until then, Madeline."

Madeline nodded to the man, watching as he smiled again, eyes shining, and turned away from her.


	5. Chapter 5: Yellow Roses and Carnivals

"Oh Madeline, dear! There is something for you in the staff room..."

Madeline just walked into work, the smell of cocoa filling her senses. She looked at her co-worker Yekaterina with a confused expression. "Uh, ok thank you!" Walking to the back, she didn't have to look long to find what her friend spoke of. Standing out on the table was a beautiful single yellow rose. A hand fluttered to her chest as she approached the table. Tied to the rose was a small piece of paper with a blue ribbon. In a masculine scrawl was the word "Maddie."

Madeline picked up the flower as though it were a piece of fragile glass. The colour was so vibrant, and the flower was nice and healthy. Her mind reeled. '_Who could have sent this to me? And yellow...' _

She brought a hand to her face, her teeth softly biting on a knuckle. Lars only gave her tulips from time to time, never roses. Going over the past few weeks, she tried to think of any outstanding event- '_Alfred._' Her eyes widened. That was it, it had to be- yesterday when she revealed to him her love of roses in the floral store. He must have sent her this. Letting out a small giggle, she brought the flower closer to her face, inhaling the sweet scent. '_Maybe...maybe he isn't that bad after all...?' _But she knew this already, deep down.

* * *

><p>Alfred stopped by the store around the time it was closing, which surprised Madeline.<p>

"I thought you weren't going to show up! We were just about to lock the doors!"

"I would never forget you, Madeline. My thoughts were that I could walk you home, seeing as it is kind of late."

Madeline blushed at his words, already feeling her body heat up. The young girl wrung her hands nervously before looking back to him.

"Thank you, I would love that. I will be out in just a few minutes."

They closed the store with ease, and soon enough Madeline found herself walking down the street with Alfred, the umbrella under his arm. They spoke of their day, work, overall mood. Madeline felt more and more at ease with him, talking becoming easier each time. They walked close together, shoulders occasionally bumping against the other. They neared her house sooner than she wished, stopping at her doorstep.

Fiddling with her keys, she tried to get them into the slot before he took over, hands smoothing over hers. She looked over her shoulder to him, blushing and then looking back down.

"I...I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"Yes. F-for the rose. That was very thoughtful...and I loved it."

Alfred's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. His eyes crinkled in the corners, his lips framing a gorgeous smile. Maddie wanted nothing more than to reach up and smooth out those lines, to run her fingers over his lips.

"You are very welcome, Madeline."

"...Just so you know, a group of my friends and I...and Lars, are going to the carnival that is in town next weekend. If you wanted to meet up there..."

Alfred stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, feeling like a timid, virginal, 13 year old boy.

"I would love to. Uhm, do you think I could have your number?"

"Oh, yes, sure..."

Madeline rummaged around for her phone, as did Alfred. They exchanged numbers, instantly programming each other in and then sending a practice text. After a somewhat awkward and blushing goodbye, Madeline ran to her bedroom and covered her face in her pillows, kicking her legs.

* * *

><p>Madeline did not see Alfred for a few days after that, which made her feel a mixture of emotions. She felt a little relieved, but at the same time...<em>'No, there is no way I miss seeing that man-' <em> She shook her head frowning, and continued to read her book in the bathtub. Madeline was taking a relaxing bath before getting ready for the night. It was the night of the carnival that was in town, so she was giving herself enough time to go at a nice, comfortable pace.

She felt a little confused over Lars lately too, so she needed to unwind. Lars had been acting a little off- for whatever reason, she was not sure. He wasn't as affectionate to her as he once was. His behaviour in the restaurant the other day was one of his random good moods, but it quickly dissipated throughout the night. She had no idea what exactly she should do, or what can be done. Shaking her head again, she tried to erase such negative thoughts from her mind and focus on her book.

The book she was reading was a classical romance novel, one of her favourites. She loved that kind of sappy novel, and would even imagine herself in the woman's place along with her current crush. She closed her eyes, and began to envision the scene she was reading...

_The night was cold and blustery, and she was high up in a tower. The village was under attack by a neighbouring tribe, and her psychotic father locked her up in a room. Soon a red blaze filled the window frame, plus an excruciating heat was felt. The tower was set on fire and she had no way out. She started to scream, tried to find a way out, but she was trapped. Just as she started to think about jumping, a banging was heard at the door. A man came in, bathed in darkness, and motioned at her to come to him. He told her he was here to save her, and all she could think of was 'Lars.' She ran to him and he picked her up bridal style, running down the stairs to safety. Once outside by the river, he set her down on the grass, the fire behind them giving his head a halo-look to it. 'Wait a minute,' she thought. 'That's his hair.' She peered up at him, his face slowly becoming illuminated, but he kissed her before she could see him. His mouth ravished hers, kissing deeper, and more passionately than anything she had experienced. As he drew away, her violet orbs looked up into sky blue ones. Blinking, she took in the rest of his face to find Alfred looking down at her, his cocky smile in place. _

She almost dropped her book in the water.

* * *

><p>It was not difficult for Alfred to convince the other two to check out the carnival that was in town, so Alfred picked up Mathias and Gilbert again and drove there. When they arrived, they all bolted out, excited to see what was there, what to do, who to see.<p>

"These games are rigged though..." Mathias protested as the other two dragged him in that direction.

"But that's half the fun!" Alfred laughed, plunking down on a chair beside a man with somewhat spiky auburn hair. This game was one where you had to have precision and throw the ball in the distant basket. Smiling over to his friends, he looked to his opponent with a smirk.

That smirk was quickly erased from his features when he realized who exactly sat beside him. This was the man he saw Madeline with, the one from the restaurant. '_How perfect would this be to show up her boyfriend.' _he thought with glee. He didn't see Madeline around, which disappointed him partially. She said she would be here though, and if the boyfriend was, so was she.

He looked the man up and down. '_What was so great about him? Sure, he looked a little foreign, but what else? Nothing.' _He looked to the basket and lobbed the first ball...it bounced off the side.

Snarling, he looked to his laughing friends to shut them up. "It was just the first one, give me a break! I still have ten more!"

The man beside him threw his and it went in perfectly. This enraged Alfred, and his sense of competitiveness went through the roof. He threw a few more balls, and this time they all made it in, but so did the boyfriend's. He was so engrossed by the game, that he didn't notice the woman he was trying to show off to finally arrive. His friends noticed, but chose to say nothing, other than smirk and chuckle to themselves.

She watched Lars for a while, but her attention kept returning to Alfred. She watched how concentrated he looked, the intense calculating expression he had. His throw had a restrained power to it, which intrigued her. Seeing that he had one more throw, she moved forward to stand beside Lars. He didn't react at all, but when Alfred saw her, his ball almost flew into the other man's basket.

"Good game, Lars! You tied!" Madeline squeezed his shoulders. Alfred watched the pair, and soon grew angry when he saw Lars wave her off slightly, a determined look on his face.

"No, that's not good enough. I have to play another round. Go see your friends again or something."

A hurt look crossed her face when she was dismissed from him so coldly, but she left without a word, only a single nod. Alfred felt like getting up and punching that bastard's face in, but he knew it would only hurt Maddie more. He watched as she walked away with a look of both hurt and resignation.

"Here, Gilbert you play next..." Alfred trailed off, getting up and walking off. The man didn't care and didn't even watch Alfred or Madeline walk away.

It didn't take him long to catch up to her, so he just walked alongside her for a while, remaining silent as they walked.

"Nice night out tonight, isn't i-"

"You don't have to do this. I'm fine... H-he is just very competitive, that's all..."

Alfred remained silent. Sure, he could understand being competitive, but there was no reason to snap at her like that. Maddie did not deserve that, and the boyfriend did not deserve her.

"Have you seen the new mall downtown?"

"What?"

"The new mall."

Madeline looked at him confused. "Uhm, no, I haven't. I don't usually go down that way often..."

"They have a lot of nice stores there, and a giant food court! Would you like to check it out, maybe Wednesday?"

Still hurt over Lars, she looked to Alfred with a grateful smile. "Wednesday sounds gr-"

"Maddie!"

Madeline jumped and stepped away from Alfred quickly, surprised by how close she found herself to him. Lars was making his way to her quickly, a look of angry concern on his face. He was staring Alfred down which Alfred was doing right back to him, his hands in his pockets. As he was nearing, he was not paying attention to her, so she took that moment to look at them both.

Madeline never noticed until that moment how serious and harsh Lars looked. Going from him to Alfred, Alfred looked much more jovial and friendly, the kind that knew how to be serious, but whose positivity took over most of the time. Lars snaked his hand around her waist and brought her closer to him, all the while looking at Alfred.

"What are you doing over here, Maddie? I've been looking for you." Without letting her say anything, he looked down to her, grabbed her hand and tugged her away.

"Come on, it's getting late. Let's take you home."

Alfred watched her leave, wishing he could do something for her to stay. He felt a little better over the fact her body language read she didn't want to leave. What he was not expecting, was to see those violet eyes peer over her shoulder back to him.

Later that night he received a text which read,

"Wednesday sounds wonderful. I would love to."

* * *

><p>_<br>A/N: The colour yellow signifies "I care," joy, friendship, as well as "remember me."

**Yekaterina** = Ukraine


	6. Chapter 6: Getting Closer Falling Apart

Wednesday. It was finally Wednesday. Madeline felt like her heart was in her throat, as though she was a young girl going on her very first date. But she had to tell herself that no, this was not a date. All they were doing was going to the mall...but she could not deny the fact her heart skipped a beat when her caller ID came up as "Jones, A." She tried to focus more on the words he was saying, than the bedroom voice he was using, but that was as easy to ignore as a mosquito by your ear.

She tried to tell herself it was from lack of attention, that Alfred was just the kind to draw people to him, and everything was innocent. She tried to reassure herself that no, she was not falling for him, and that she liked Lars. But the more she thought of Lars, the more she compared him to Alfred.

Their relationship had been going on for about three months now, but it was very slow starting. He was not the most affectionate man in the world, giving her only chaste kisses if she prompted him for it. Sure, he used some terms of affection for her, but those were few and far between.

She noticed that he had a tendency to show affection if he were to show her off to someone. Lately they have rarely spoken, and if she called him, he sounded busy, or immediately tell her he would call her later.

They saw each other maybe once or twice, but it was mainly by fluke at the restaurant. She had lost count the amount of times she caught him, not looking for her, but talking with that new girl, Bella.

Sure she would be angry and let him know, but he wouldn't do much about it. All he would do was give her a small bouquet of tulips, kiss her on the cheek and say, "you know I love you." He told her he loved her, but she never believed it. Madeline also never felt it, or said it back to him. She would set the tulips in a vase on her living room table but all she could see was a yellow rose.

* * *

><p>Alfred was nervous. No, he was beyond nervous, he was panicky and edgy. He wanted today to go by so well, he was almost stressing over it. He changed his outfit at least ten times, unsatisfied with each of them. Finally he settled on a black t-shirt, a blue zip-up hooded sweater, his dog tags, and dark, faded jeans. The day was cool, the clouds heavy and threatening rain, so the sweater was warranted. He stuffed his small folded wallet into his pocket, grabbed his keys and phone and left his place for Madeline's.<p>

He called her as he got in the car, and sure enough, she was on the sidewalk when he pulled up. She looked absolutely captivating. Her hair was down in long cascading waves, she had nice black jeans tucked into boots, as well as a sweater like his own, but a slightly more thin material and red. A black purse was slung across her body, and she was fiddling with the zipper as he pulled up.

Madeline was amazed by how nice of a car Alfred drove. It was nothing ostentatious, but it wasn't destined for the scrap heap anytime soon. It was a nice sleek blue Honda Civic, with little detailing. Smiling at him, she walked up to the car and got inside.

"Hey Maddie!"  
>"Hi Alfred."<br>"So where do you want to go first?"  
>Madeline thought about this for a moment. "The mall maybe?"<br>Alfred pulled away from the street and started to drive off to the nearest mall. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

><p>Their day was spent going into every single store, looking at everything, making comments, and then moving on. Again, Madeline was amazed by how much fun she had with him. He knew of ways to make her laugh so hard that she never knew she could that loud. He treated her to ice cream, and they just sat in the food court, talking about life, interests and experiences.<p>

She never thought she could grow so attached to someone so quickly, but she felt an affinity towards Alfred that she had never felt before. She had only had one other boyfriend before Lars, a Cuban man, but that didn't last very long. So her naivety towards men could be due to that fact, but she felt that Alfred was different. They had a lot of similarities, so many things they both enjoyed and did. He enjoyed hockey as much as she did, which automatically meant he won many respect points from her.

They finished their little tour of the mall around 5 o'clock, so Alfred suggested they go get something to eat as well, which Madeline accepted. He laughingly almost drove into a McDonalds, but she laughed, made a grossed out face and pushed his shoulder lightly. Inside each of them reeled over the contact they made with the other, Madeline also feeling shocked that she did that. They went to an actual restaurant, and had their meals. Alfred paid for her, but he had to fight her to- she didn't want him to buy her this as well. He won the argument, but just barely.

He dropped her off at home, and walked her to the door again. She smiled at his gesture, and felt in such a good mood that she gave him a hug before running into the house.

* * *

><p>Their hang outs soon became a common occurrence, happening twice to three times a week. They would either go out, go to her apartment, or go to his. They couldn't get enough of each other, each longing for the other's company. If he did not text her, she texted him. As the months grew by, she soon forgot about the drama with Lars almost completely. She would didn't mind that he would blow her off, because she would return the favour at times with him to be with Alfred. After one particularly good night with Alfred, she decided to visit Lars at his house and surprise him.<p>

Everything was going well in her life, and she felt happy for the first time in a while. That is, until she walked into his house.

* * *

><p>Madeline walked up to the door, and knocked softly before turning the knob. She smiled, Lars usually left the door open and this time was no exception. She giggled to herself, knowing how surprised he would be seeing her. She always called beforehand, letting him know she was coming. Opening the door, she didn't have to walk in too far to find Lars.<p>

On the couch, he was on top of another girl, who Madeline belatedly recognized to be Bella, in an advanced stage of undress. He was quite into the moment, so he did not notice her- neither of them did, actually. Quickly, she left the house without bringing attention to herself.

She ran. Ran and ran without even knowing where she was going. Her heart felt like it was being crushed, she felt light-headed, and her stomach ached as though she was going to be sick. Of all the reasons for him acting distant towards her, she never thought she would see this. In the back of her mind, a little voice asked her about Alfred, but that was nothing like what she saw. She had done nothing with him.

She finally stopped running, completely out of breath as she looked up at the building she was before. Madeline took out her phone and dialled a number, trying to calm her mind and her breathing.

Ringing.

Ringing.

"...'lo?" a sleepy voice slurred an answer.

"_Alfred."_

What he heard in her voice must have snapped him out of his sleepy-haze.

"Maddie! What's wrong, are you okay?"

"I'm downstairs, can you let me in?"

"I'll be right there."

Madeline wiped at her face, surprised to find her skin wet. She didn't know when she started crying. She walked to the door just as it quickly swung open. There stood Alfred, baggy sweatpants clinging to his hips, a grey muscle shirt, and messy hair. His eyes were wide awake and full of concern as he looked at her.

"Maddie..." he breathed. "What's happened?" He pulled her close against him, enveloping her in a close hug.

"Lars...h-he...he was there with Bella."

She felt his hold lax before tightening around her. His hand went to the back of her head as he held her closer to him, cradling her and whispering soft sounds to her, trying to calm her down as she broke down against his chest. He let her cry for a moment before taking her hand and guiding her upstairs with him.

He sat her down on his couch before going back to the door, locking it, getting her some tissues and water. Returning to the living room, he sank to his knees on the ground beside her, handing her the tissues.

"Here...and I'll put your water right here. When you feel ready, or if you want to, you can explain to me what happened."

Madeline wiped at her eyes and face before letting her hands fall to her lap. Dropping her head, her face was hidden by her hair, and her shoulders began to shake. Alfred drew closer, and put a hand on her shoulder.

The feeling of his warm hand on her shoulder felt like an anchor to her. Whereas she felt cold, and as though she was splintering apart, that hand warmed her to the core. Her hand came up and covered that hand lightly, the warmth now warming her cold, shaking hand.

"Th-thank you..." she whispered softly to him her face still hidden to him.

He smiled softly, squeezing her shoulder lightly. "It is no problem, believe me."

"...I wanted to surprise Lars. Our relationship has been kind of strained lately, but I thought...I thought maybe I could do something that might save it. I know he leaves his door unlocked, so I went in..."

A shuddering breath.

"I looked around, and I found him about to have sex with Bella, the new hostess at the restaurant.

It was a good thing that she was not looking at him at that moment. His entire countenance turned to anger- the fury he was experiencing was near suffocating. The fact that this amazing young woman, his little Maddie, was hurt by someone made him enraged. He wanted nothing more than to go and have a thorough chat with him.

He felt her shoulder begin to shake again, so he stood and sat beside her. With the gentlest of touches he moved the hair from her face, and cupping her chin, he turned her to look at him. Her eyes were watery, the unshed tears welling up as she looked at him.

"Madeline. You deserve much better than that, and I am so sorry you had to see that and experience this."

He moved his hand to the back of her head again and brought her against him. Madeline curled up against him as he leaned sideways against the back of the couch, so they were cuddling together. She laid a small hand against his chest and let the tears fall, all the while his hand rubbing her back, making small designs.

He whispered down to her, against her hair, "you will know the right decision to make. Know that you deserve much better than that...guy."

Her response was a small sound of assent, nothing more.

Alfred continued to soothe her, rubbing her back as she laid against him. He slowly felt the tenseness leave her body, and her breathing even out.

"Maddie?"

Silence.

"Hey...hey, Madeline?"

He leaned away, trying to look at her face. She was sound asleep against him. Chuckling softly to himself, he tried as best as he could to get up and then pick her up. She was weightless in his arms, and felt like she belonged there.

In her sleep she turned to his chest and nestled against him, making a pleased sound. Alfred had to bite his lip and think of other things. He walked into his bedroom and placed her in the center of his bed. Drawing back the covers, he put them over top of her, brushed her hair from her face tenderly, turned off the lights and went to set up the couch for him to sleep on.

Laying back down on a spare pillow with a small blanket, he stared up at the ceiling. Madeline was here. In his home. In his bed.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

><p>AN: I really hope this doesn't seem too rushed- I just wanted to progress a little quicker in the story. ^_^;;

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!


	7. Chapter 7: Morning After

Another reason why Madeline did not drink often was the fact she hated moments like this...waking up not knowing where you are. The bed was definitely different from her own, the bed not as soft, and nowhere near as many pillows. She ran her hands over the pillows, feeling their soft texture before brushing the hair from her face, and sat up. She had to rub her eyes slightly, her contacts giving her sight some trouble seeing as she slept with them in.

The light shone in through a nearby window, illuminating the room with a soft glow to show a masculine room, everything a deep colour...minus a few multicoloured, flashy posters on a far wall. And of course, the random alien figures on his dresser, but other than that it was a mature room.

Slipping from the bed, she noticed that she was still fully dressed, which was odd. She stood there for a moment and thought about the night before, but it wasn't long before her face fell.

Lars. Bella...

_Alfred._

Her face felt extremely warm when she realized that she slept in Alfred's bed. She had been in his apartment before, yes, but never his room.

Her only question was then, where was he? Did he sleep with her as well? Looking to the clock, she saw that it was only 9 o'clock in the morning, so she crept from the room quietly. Padding over the floor, she made her way to the living room, and was faced with a heart-warming sight.

Lying on the couch was Alfred, sprawled out and sound asleep. He wasn't the most graceful of sleepers, but he _was _on a couch. She walked closer, going from watching his chest rise and fall, to his face.

'_He has such a boyish face when he sleeps_,' she thought with a fond smile.

Reaching down, she softly brushed the bangs from his face, running the back of her fingers over his cheek. His skin was soft and warm, and she couldn't stop herself from touching him.

Drawing back from his prone frame, she turned and went towards the kitchen, wanting to wake him up with coffee. She wasn't aware of the fact he was awake from the moment she left his bedroom.

She was rummaging around the cupboards, looking for cups when he softly called out that they were in the furthest one on the left.

Jumping slightly she exclaimed, "Alfred! Since when were you up?" She knew her face was becoming pink.

'_How long has he been up?' _

He gave her small smile, "since I heard you search around for something. I was assuming it was a glass, seeing as the coffee marker is on," he lied easily. He didn't want her to know he felt her touches.

She opened the door to hide her sigh of relief. '_Thank God' _

"Got them! Thank you!" She set out the glasses and continued her preparations.

Alfred sat up and ran his hand through his hair as he watched her. He loved watching her in his kitchen. He wanted to see her there, alongside him. He wanted to cook with her, to bake with her. He even wanted to have huge cooking disasters with her like he did with his father.

Standing up, he walked over behind her when she went to pour his glass. He reached around her and took his cup, as his other hand circled her waist. He bent down and kissed her shoulder, murmuring a quiet thanks.

Madeline's hands shook slightly from the contact, and she felt a warm sensation flood her body. Her throat constricted, and she felt the blood rush to her face.

"Did you not want some yourself?"

"No! Uhm, no, I should be going...I have invaded your home and disrupted your sleep- I should leave you be."

"Madeline."

At that she looked back up to him. He noticed her eyes were still a little bleary, but she looked significantly better than the night prior, even a slight blush on her cheeks.

"It was no problem, seriously. I'm always here for you...you know that."

Madeline bit her lip. "I know...thank you, Al, I really appreciate it."

Alfred was just in the process of bringing his cup to his lips when he stopped. She never called him Al before. Concealing his excitement by taking a drink, he then set it down and looked to her.

"Can I at least drive you home?"

"No, that is quite alright. I like the walk and...it should clear my head."

He nodded, understanding her need to be alone. Walking her to the door, and then outside, he stopped her before she continued by hugging her once more.

"As I said, you will know what to do, my dear. Everything will be alright."

She brought her hands up over his shoulder blades, and hugged him back.

"I know...thank you. I'll talk to you later?"

"For sure."

Madeline turned and started to walk away, she was just down the steps before she turned back. "Al?"

"Yeah?"

"...thank you." And with that she turned back around and made her way home.

* * *

><p>Madeline made her way into her house with leaden feet, took off her clothes and stepped into the shower. Not quite scalding, she sunk to the floor of the shower and brought her knees up to her chest.<p>

There she sat until the water grew cold. Her mind was going a mile a minute- thinking of Lars, but mainly of Alfred. How he held her close, how he was there when she needed him. She could not erase the feeling of his body against her cheek, the feeling of his strong muscled back beneath her fingertips. His scent still filled her senses and she could not erase him from her mind. She didn't want to leave his place, but she knew that she looked like a mess and she needed to get ready in her own home.

She washed quickly before the water grew too cold, and stepped out. She just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at her door. She put her hair up into a quick bun before answering it.

It was a delivery man and in his hands were a bouquet of roses. There were eleven roses, and there were peach coloured roses, along with pink, and a few red rosebuds. She stared at them until the man cleared his throat.

"These are for you, miss."

"Thank you..." she extended her hands and grasped them, holding them close to her chest as the man wished her a good day and left. There was a card in the middle of them, and although it was not his handwriting of her name, she knew it was from him.

* * *

><p>A few days passed until Madeline pulled up the courage to text Alfred again. She had not called Lars once or made any attempt to see him- she had her own idea on how to deal with this little problem. She pulled out her phone and texted him, "hey, you busy?"<p>

She put the phone down, and went to her kitchen to get some water when she heard a light, melodic tune coming from the table. Rushing back over she answered it without glancing at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey Maddie!"

Her heart fluttered in her chest. "Alfred! Hello! How are you?"

"Great thanks! I saw your text, and I thought I would call you, seeing as I am indeed free." He laughed, and it did nothing to calm her heart.

"O-oh well that is nice of you! I-I was just wondering if you were busy later..."

"Nope, I have the whole day off! What did you have in mind?"

"Maybe go see a movie...?"

Alfred's voice grew excited, and they planned on seeing a recently released action movie around seven o'clock that night.

"Hey, since it's around then, why don't we have supper as well?"

Madeline's heart stuttered to a stop at the suggestion. _Dinner and a movie?_ _That almost sounded like..._

"That sounds like a great idea!"

"Awesome! I'll pick you up around four, how does that sound?"

"Good to me!"

"Alright. I'll text you when I'm close! See you then, Mads."

"See you, Al."

Madeline ended the call and held the cell phone to her body that was practically humming with excitement, over her heart that threatened to beat out of her chest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Eleven roses signify that the recipient is truly and deeply cared for/loved.  
>Peach roses mean: "Let's get together," sincerity, and gratitude.<br>Pink roses mean: Happiness, fun, "thank you," admiration, appreciation. They also mean, "please believe me."  
>Red rosebuds mean: Purity and loveliness.<p>

Sorry for the short chapter this time around, I just wanted to get this updated! ^^;; The next one should be longer.


	8. Chapter 8: A Date?

_'I don't know if I can do this...I don't know if I can do this...I don't know-'_

Madeline paced around her bedroom, biting her bottom lip from nerves. She had already changed six times, and was contemplating a seventh before scoffing and forcing herself to go to the living room.

Sitting down with a huff, she rested her head on her hand against the arm of the couch. She picked out some darker jeans with a white shirt and an olive green military jacket. She meddled with her glasses, cleaning them for the fourth time now before her cell phone chimed through the room.

If anyone were to ask, she did not pounce on her phone, but merely sauntered over gracefully.

"Close!" Was what the text said, causing her heart to beat faster.

She picked up her purse, slung it over her shoulder and slipped on her black flats before turning off all the lights in her place. She wanted to meet him downstairs and not keep him waiting, so she turned everything off, grabbed her keys and opened her door.

Alfred stood there with his hand in the process of knocking on the door.

"Alfred! I just got your text, you said you were close!"

He laughed down to her, "I know! I thought I would come up and get you!"

Alfred's smile faded from his eyes to make way for the lust creeping into them. Trying to maintain his composure, he just stepped back and allowed her to lock the place up, and led her to the car.

Madeline was surprised that not only did he come up to get her, but he even displayed old displays of courtesy by opening the door to his car for her. She slid in and Alfred soon started the car and drove off.

"So, where were you thinking of eating?" she asked.

"I'm up for anything, so the real question is, where do _you_ want to go?"

Madeline contemplated this for a while, staring out the window and back to him from the corner of her eye.

"Did...you want to go to that restaurant named Tony?"

"That Greek place? Sure! Sounds good to me!"

They made the restaurant in very little time, listening to music the ride there and talking about trivial things. Luckily the place wasn't too busy, and they were given a booth immediately. The two of them mulled over the menu, Alfred helping Madeline decide on what to pick.

Pointing to various items, their hands touched, caressed briefly, and then Alfred's touch lingered some moments. Madeline felt her body heat up, and even was so bold as to reach out and touch Alfred's arm at times as they spoke. Their feet touched a few times under the table throughout the night- first one apologized to the other and drew away. But after a while, their feet found each other again, and soon they remained in contact.

Alfred insisted upon paying for the meal again, to which Madeline had to reluctantly agree to. He lead the way for a moment out of the restaurant, but stopped and turned to her, waiting until they were side by side to walk back to his car.

"We're still kind of early for the movie..." he mused quietly, looking to the watch on his wrist.

It always amazed her on how he managed to steal her breath with even the most mundane of actions. He was dressed in a bomber jacket, a black shirt, and nice jeans with his Vans shoes just sticking out. He was casual, yet sharp, and she thought he was absolutely gorgeous.

"Maddie?"

"Oh! Right, yeah! Uhm...did you want to go to...I have an idea. I'll tell you where to go."

"Sounds like an adventure, I like it."

He smiled to her and winked before getting back in the car. Thank god he did, or else he would have saw the blush spread over her face.

Madeline directed him towards a beach, not too far from where they had to go, but to a more secluded area. She knew Alfred for a while now, and she felt perfectly comfortable showing him her little place she found a while back.

He pulled in to the gravelled area, turned off the car and looked to her confused.

"What are we doing?"

"Trust me! Come on, there is still enough light to see where we're going."

She left the car excitedly and made her way down a narrow trail.

"Hey wait! Mads, wait for me!"

Already down at the base of the trail, and was overlooking a large lake. Around the time she first moved here, Madeline wandered around town a bit, looking for parks and lakes that she could go to. She found this lake which was perfect to swim in, but off from the main beach, was this little secluded area with large rocks. When she wanted to just go somewhere to relax or think, she loved going here.

Alfred slowed until he stood just a few paces away. The scenery was breath taking. He lived there his entire life, and somehow never knew of this area. Madeline practically glowed in the evening sun, the water shimmering behind her, and the sky a beautiful array of colours.

"It's lovely..." was all he was able to whisper.

"It is, isn't it?" She smiled at him before turning back to the water.

Madeline bent down and rolled up her jeans until they were up to her knees. She then kicked off her flats and made to step into the shallow water, towards a rock.

"Hey! Be careful, you can fall!"

"Oh ye of little faith, Al! Come on, it's fun! An adventure, as you said..." she smirked at him, challenging him to follow.

He gave her a mock glare before smiling and rolling up his own pants. He had to take off his socks and shoes, but soon followed close behind. There were many rocks along the way, leading further into the water, and curving along the trees.

Madeline was just stepping onto another rock when it started to wobble. Her hand shot out to a nearby tree, and she managed to steady herself. Alfred saw this and tried to help her, but only managed to fall himself. His foot slipped on a section of algae covered rock, causing his body to pitch to the side.

She shot out her arm and grabbed his hand while Alfred used his free hand to hold himself up. Luckily it was a larger rock, so he didn't make any contact with the water. Unfortunately, it was a longer drop down than anticipated, and it brought Madeline down with him.

Sprawled out on top of Alfred, she had to blink and look around to register what just happened. She looked to Alfred, and he was much closer than she thought. She could feel his breath on her face, could see the dark flecks of blue in his eyes around the pupil.

Alfred- although the position was uncomfortable- was enjoying the feel of Madeline on him, her breath also on his face. The air felt charged between them, and he could have sworn he felt a spark in the distance between their lips.

"You okay?" he whispered to her.

Madeline just nodded her head, and tried to use her other hand to help her up. Alfred searched her eyes, admiring the gorgeous hue, and how gently her lashes curled upward. As much as he wanted to stay there, he reluctantly helped her to her feet and led them back to the car.

"Well! That killed a lot of time, didn't it?" he laughed, a bit breathlessly.

Madeline laughed back, and nodded a little shakily.

* * *

><p>They made it to the theatre with a fair amount of time to spare. Madeline insisted on buying the tickets for the both of them, and they made their way to the room. It was surprisingly empty, maybe a handful of people waiting for the movie to start.<p>

Alfred looked to her and tilted his head. "Did you want something? You want to get some treats?"

She couldn't help herself, she really couldn't. "Ok um, I want to get uh, some gummy fish...and um, you know the cheese that comes with the nachos? Just the cheese. I don't need the nachos. Just the cheese!"

Alfred's eyes widened for a moment until a sign of recognition shone through. "Okay...but there better not be a cave scene when we get back...and if there is, they better have a flash back to a beach."

The two of them burst out into loud laughter and went back to find something to eat. Madeline looked to Alfred as they walked back, and her chest felt slightly constricted. Lars never humoured her when she started quoting things, but Alfred knew what she spoke of, and even played along with her.

Alfred decided on a bag of popcorn and a pop, while Madeline went with some gummy bears, and a fruit drink. Back in the theatre, they waited for the movie to start, referencing various things they saw on the screen, and making comments. Alfred managed to finish his popcorn before the movie started, and his drink was almost empty.

The room dimmed and soon the previews played, and then the movie started. It wasn't that bad, Alfred was entertained by it, and even Madeline found some parts interesting.

Noticing movement from the corner of her eye, she looked down to the arm rest and saw Alfred's arm lying there, hand open and leaning towards her. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought of what the implied. Hundreds of thoughts swirled in her mind at that moment, but everything stilled when her hand found his.

She was almost shocked with herself, on how suddenly she placed her hand in his. He wasted no time in lacing their fingers together, which made her heart pound so violently it felt like it wanted to escape her chest. Madeline tried to watch the movie with at least feigned interest, but her attention was once more diverted.

What first started off as a slight tickle, soon burned throughout her entire body once she looked to where the sensation originated. Alfred was caressing her hand with this thumb, making languid strokes across her skin. Each drag of his digit left a fiery trail, sparking her very core. She felt lightheaded, and almost couldn't breathe from the intimacy. Madeline had kissed Lars before, yes, but...she had never quite felt so attached to someone before. She never felt a spark with another person quite like what she felt with Alfred.

Madeline tightened her hold, and even rubbed her thumb along his hand at times. She kept her hand in his, even when her hand grew cramped and sore.

If anyone were to ask her what she watched that night, she wouldn't be able to say.

* * *

><p>"Wow! That was such a good movie!" Alfred exclaimed excitedly to her once the lights illuminated the room once more. He gave her hand a squeeze before withdrawing and turning to her.<p>

"What do you think?"

'_I think that I could be falling for you, something that has never happened to me. I think that I would love to be the one that wishes you goodnight, and wakes you in the morning. I think-'_

"I think it was pretty good! It had quite a few...exciting moments."

Alfred smiled at her and agreed, stretching slightly and standing. She flexed her hand, trying to exercise the cramps from her wrist before standing herself. Walking down the stairs with uneasy legs, Alfred walked along side her, hand at her lower back.

It was late, and the night's air was very cool, chilling Maddie to the bone. Alfred noticed this and quickly removed his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She tried to resist, but as per usual, he won that argument.

They walked to the car, and Alfred stopped before opening the door.

"Did...did you want to stop for coffee maybe?"

"That sounds nice, I'd love to."

He drove them to a nearby coffee shop, and at the last minute, they both bought hot chocolate instead. They sat down and spoke of the movie- mostly Alfred, seeing as Madeline couldn't remember a single thing about it. Even then she was half listening, the scent from Alfred's jacket permeating her senses.

Sooner than she knew it, their coffees were finished, and they were walking to her front door. Alfred shifted his weight from foot to foot as he looked down bashfully.

"I had a really nice time with you tonight, Madeline."

"I did too, Alfred. Thank you for taking me out. We need to do this again sometime..."

Alfred looked up at her with a hopeful expression. "We do! Er- yes, we do. I would love it...Um, well...g-good night, Mad."

"Good night, Alfred."

As Alfred turned to walk back to his car, Madeline had no idea what came over her. Her hand shot out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back to her. Surprised, he turned back easily, and Madeline reached up and connected their lips.

An electric shock went through their body from the contact, and before the other knew it, hands fisted in hair and clothes. Their bodies pressed against each other as their mouths devoured the other. Alfred moaned against her, delving his tongue into her mouth and exploring. The taste of her was intoxicating, just as he knew it would be. He never wanted to separate from her, but they had to breathe after all.

Madeline was clinging to him as though her legs were going to give out. She couldn't believe that she was there, kissing Alfred in ways she had never done before, and with more passion than she has ever had. Also feeling the need to draw away, they separated slightly, but still close for their pants to mingle together.

"I-I should be going..." Alfred whispered to her.

Madeline just nodded in assent, her eyes still trained on his wet lips. He bent and kissed her once more, biting her lower lip as he drew away and stood straight. Looking down, he derived pleasure from seeing her swollen lips, and mussed hair.

"I will call you tomorrow, okay?"

Again, she nodded. "I would like that," she whispered to him.

Alfred nodded shakily, and made a slight wave before walking back to his car. He just reached his door when she realized his jacket was still on her.

"Wait! Your jacket!"

He laughed to her. "First my umbrella, now my jacket. No really, it's okay. I shall get it back another time! Goodnight, Maddie..."

"G-goodnight, Al..."

Madeline stood there, feeling quite small in his jacket as she watched him start the car, wave to her, and drive away. He jacket was warm, and still carried his scent. She rubbed her lips as she walked up to her apartment.

After getting ready for bed, she smoothed the jacket, tracing various patterns over it as she inspected each aspect of it.

Curling up in her bed, she held the jacket close to her, falling asleep thinking of Alfred.


	9. Chapter 9: Goodbye to One, Hello to Two

The light filtered through the room, but couldn't quite warm it to an enjoyable level. Madeline burrowed deep into her covers, trying to obtain as much heat as possible. She felt a different texture as she curled up, something unlike her soft comforter.  
>Cracking her eyes open a millimetre, she was able to make out that it was Alfred's jacket that laid beside her so intimately.<p>

Her hand flew to her lips and traced the contours.

That's right. The kiss.

Madeline turned on her stomach, buried her head in her pillow and began to kick her legs in excitement. She took a spare blanket, wrapped it around her and walked to her kitchen, stopping first to turn up the heat.

The season was turning, and it was becoming colder and colder every night. Feeling the need for some hot chocolate, she set out the ingredients to make herself some. She was just lying back on her couch, waiting for the microwave to go off when the phone rang.

Madeline bolted up and ran to it, picking up in two rings.

"Hello?"

What met her ears was not what she was expecting.

"Hello, beautiful."

_Lars_.

Madeline eyes were cold as she paced to the window and looked out. "Uhm, who's this?"

"...Madeleine, it's me. Lars."

She laughed a fake laugh. "Oh! My mistake, I couldn't recognise your voice."

"I see...well did you want to get together tonight?"

"Actually...you know what, I- oh, hang on, other line."

Grateful for the interruption, Madeline switched to the other call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Maddie."

She closed her eyes and held the phone closer to her, loving how raspy his voice sounded in the morning.

"Good morning, Al...what's up?"

"Such a sad situation, that's what's up."

"Wh-what's wrong!"

"You see, I woke up this morning only to find my kitchen empty. This leaves me without anything to eat...isn't that sad?"

Madeline laughed, smiling fondly as she pictured Alfred pouting on the other line.

"Ever so sad. What _will_ you do about that?"

"I could either wait here, wallowing in self-loathing, or I could ask if you wanted to help me with my little problem."

"I would love to help you find some food to eat. Did...did you want to come over to my place for breakfast, and then later we could go out?"

"It's a deal! I can be over there in...half an hour?"

Madeline's hand instinctively went to her hair. "O-oh yeah, sure. Sounds great. See you soon!"

She switched back to Lars, slightly rushed. "Hey, yeah sorry, I have to go. I'm kind of busy today, so bye!"

"But Mad-!"

Madeline hung up with a slightly forceful slam of her phone. She ran then to the bathroom, trying to make her hair look somewhat decent.

'_Oh god, I look like Medusa,' _she wailed mentally as she looked in the mirror. Madeline washed her face quickly, applied slight eye shadow to the corner of her eyes and put on a headband. Deciding on something loose, she put on a skirt with a simple t-shirt tucked in.

'_Good enough for me,'_ Madeline smoothed her skirt before speed cleaning her apartment, the hot chocolate forgotten for the moment.

* * *

><p>A knock resounded through her home, causing her to almost drop her cookbook. Feeling nervous jitters through her body, Madeline set the book down and slowly walked to the door. Alfred stood there, hair slightly windblown, wearing a black leather jacket over a graphic t-shirt and dog tag necklace. His hands were behind his back and he was rocking slightly on his feet with his head tilted.<p>

"Hey, Maddie," he whispered, the tip of his ears slightly red.

"Hello Alfred. Come in, I was just looking through my book to see what to make for us.."

Madeline blushed and gave him a small smile before walking back to the kitchen, trusting Alfred to shut the door behind him.

"So...I was thinking that we could make our staple pancakes, or we could always try making cr-"

She had turned around as she spoke, but cut off when she saw Alfred. He was leaning back against her table, and between his long fingers twirled a single long stemmed orange rose. Madeline froze, her eyes trained on his hands. This was the first time he gave a rose to her in person.

Alfred stared at her with a warm smile before slowly walking towards her.

"Maddie...I haven't stopped thinking about last night. I hope I'm not too forward by giving this to you, and asking...if you wanted to..."

His face was turning a faint red, his blush burning his ears. This woman made him feel so nervous- more so than anyone he had ever come across. Typically he wouldn't ask this of a girl after a mere kiss, but Madeline wasn't just any girl to him...

"I was wondering if you wanted to date me- that is, be my girlfriend," and he held the rose out to her. "I know it's still pretty soon after...yeah, but I thought maybe- If you wanted...and you know I would never do that to you."

Madeline just looked at him, trying to digest his jumbled sentence. Meeting him half way, she walked before him and touched his hand, holding the stem of the rose.

"I know you wouldn't...and I don't feel it is too soon. He and I were...were never really _that_ close to begin with. I..I'd love to, Al."

Taking the offered rose from his hand, she brought it up to her face an inhaled the sweet scent before Alfred pushed her hand down, tipped her chin up and kissed her.

She froze for a moment but quickly gave herself over to the kiss. She didn't felt guilty or bad about this at all- they had been friends for a long time now, and Lars had evidently found interest in another. She moaned slightly, opening up and coaxing his tongue with hers.

That must have prompted something in Alfred, for he walked her back against a wall and pinned her there, his tongue exploring hers hungrily. His hands thread into her hair before holding her head reverently, holding her against him. Madeline's hands wound their way up his chest, caressing his hard muscles before holding onto his jacket.

It was Alfred who drew away first, breaking off the kiss with a groan as he dropped his head to press against the wall. Turning slightly, he placed his mouth near her ear and whispered in a voice that would tempt an angel to sin.

"We have to stop here, baby, before I can't."

Madeline bit her lip and made a sound of assent as her hands loosened their grip on his clothes. Alfred kissed her neck once more, and unaware to Madeline, left a couple of love bites what would make themselves obvious in a little while. Smiling to himself he finally drew away and cleared his throat.

"So! Uh, what were we making again? Pancakes? That works."

Madeline pushed off of the wall and shook her head slightly. "Yeah! Ok, so I have everything we need..."

The two stood side by side and made their pancakes, elbows occasionally bumping into each other, shoulders brushing, chests grazing as they manoeuvred in her moderate sized kitchen. Alfred manned the oven, while Madeline prepared the batter, as well as set the table with plates, their drinks, and retrieved the syrup. She also used that time to get a slender vase, fill it with water and place it on the center of the table with her rose in it.

"Ta da! Perfect pancakes! I'm just that good." Alfred smirked, pleased with himself on how well they turned out. Madeline laughed and patted him on the shoulder, praising him with his amazing cooking skills as they sat down together and began to eat.

Madeline regarded him from beneath her lashes, watching how he ate with enthusiasm, and couldn't shake the feeling of how perfect this was. She found her gaze lingering on the rose, and it still made her heart flutter on how they are now, so suddenly dating.

"So, where did you want to go after this?" Alfred asked her after taking a drink of milk.

"Just around town...maybe the mall. I have to pick up a few things, if that's alright with you."

"Sure! I can help, if you want me to!"

Madeline blushed and looked down, moving her pancake around slightly. "I don't mind."

When they finished, they prepared to leave, but Alfred stopped her. "It's kind of cold out, you should wear a sweater or something."

She looked down at her outfit and thought that maybe she should wear a jacket- which then made her smile. Walking into her room she found what she was looking for immediately and put it on. It was a little loose on her, but she wasn't aiming to look fashionable at the moment.

Alfred walked over to her bedroom door and made a small chuckle. "That actually looks nice on you, Mad."

"Thanks!" She held it a little closer to her, bringing the collar up as they walked outside. It wasn't that cold by her standards- she didn't feel cold at all. Back at home she knew people would still be wearing shorts, so she didn't feel out of place with what she was wearing...she'd just keep the jacket on.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the mall, she dragged him into the cosmetic section of a Wal-mart, but surprisingly he didn't put up that much of a fight. Partially because she agreed to go into the electronic section next. They spent almost half an hour looking at the televisions, and all of the video games.<p>

"Oh wow! This one looks like so much fun, what do you think, Maddie?"

Madeline gave a small smile and thought the zombie game that he held had promise. Alfred looked to her and her poorly hidden bored face and laughed. He kissed her quickly, holding her close and whispered, "it's only fair after you asked me about nail polish colours for what felt like an eternity."

"That's true-"

"What's this?"

Madeline's eyes widened for a moment before they turned and looked to the newcomer at the end of the isle. The store was slightly deserted, this section even more, so they were surprised to see someone else. And what a person to catch them.

Lars had just turned the corner and caught them kissing, waiting a moment before saying anything. His face was red, and he looked ready to kill someone by the way his fists were clenching.

Madeline just smiled to him sweetly. "Hello, Lars. Fancy meeting you here." She held Alfred's hand, and turned to kiss him square on the mouth. She drew away after a moment and licked her lips slowly, looking back to Lars.

He hadn't known, or bothered to know, Madeline long enough to witness this side of her, and he was surprised to say the least.

"Well, it was nice running into you again, Lars. Do tell Bella I said hello. Come on, Al. I wanted to pick out that new bed set for our new place..."

And Alfred, her beloved Alfred, he played along beautifully. Holding her hand tighter, he kissed her and started to walk away, speaking loud enough to be heard. "Don't forget we still have to see the priest later, baby."

"Hey! Don't you just blow me off like this!"

Lars tried to walk after them, but as they rounded the isle, Alfred was ready for him. Madeline was a few paces away, far enough to be safe as Alfred grabbed the man by the wrist and pinned him against a bare wall. His grip was tight, and god, how he wanted to break this man's face in. But he couldn't- not in front of Madeline, nor in public. Instead he leaned in close, whispering menacingly in his ear.

"You listen to me, pal, and you listen well. You bother us one more time, _one more time,_ and I swear to god, no one will be able to identify you. You are extremely lucky that we're in public, 'cause you don't want to know what I'd do to you, you worthless piece of shit. You've lost your chance, not that I think you care, so don't try to be the victim. I don't want you following us, nor do I want to hear your voice, or see your face around Madeline again. Do you understand me?"

"Fuck you-!"

Alfred slammed his head against the wall, not too hard, but hard enough to get his point across.

"What was that, buddy?"

Lars was silent for a moment before uttering a pained, "fine."

"Good choice," Alfred growled out, letting go of him and drawing away.

He walked over to Madeline and wrapped his arm around her, looking back to Lars who was clutching his head and glaring at him. "Have a nice day!" Alfred called back sweetly, guiding Madeline away from the scene.

Only once they were in the main part of the mall did Madeline ask, "what did you say to him?"

"Oh...ya know, I just told him that you and him were over, and that he's an idiot. Oh hey! Look at that cool cowboy hat! Come on!"

Madeline shook her head at how painfully obvious he was at trying to change the subject, but she followed along anyway, dropping the subject.

Alfred ran up to the display of hats and put on the cowboy hat, striking a pose for Madeline.

"How do I look?"

She had to bite her lip to stifle a slight moan over how sexy he looked. Instantly she thought of cowboy hats, silken sheets, moans and sweaty skin.

"Y-you look really good, Al."

He looked to the blush on her face and smirked slightly. He took off the hat, went to the cash register and purchased it on the spot. He looked to Madeline and winked, "for future reference."

They spent the rest of the day together, stealing little kisses and sweet touches here and there, unable to stop themselves.

* * *

><p>"Wait what? What?" Erzsébet couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You and Alfred are dating! Ha! I knew you two would! That is too cute! Have you had s-"<p>

Madeline reached over and covered her friends mouth quickly. "Liz! Quiet! And n-no! We haven't! We have only been dating for a week or so now..."

"How come you are only telling me now!"

"You and have both been busy...I don't know! I just forgot to, okay?" Madeline blushed and took a long drink of her cosmopolitan.

"That is too cute...I'm happy for you, Mads. About time you got a good guy."

"Thank you...I'm just so happy Bella quit last week, or else I wouldn't have been able to deal with her."

Erzsébet just shook her head in disbelief. "I would never have guessed she would do that...she seemed like such a sweet girl. Anyway! Enough about them! Tell me more abotu Alfred and you..."

Madeline spent their little girl's night at her place explaining to her friend how her feelings for him blossomed into what it was.

* * *

><p>The months rolled by, and before they knew it, it was almost Christmas. They spent thanksgiving together, twice, as well as Halloween. For thanksgiving, Alfred wanted to do something for both the Canadian and American one, and they made dinner for the two of them each time. For Halloween, Madeline dressed up as a zombie prisoner, while Alfred dressed as a zombie police officer and went as a group with her friends and his to a club. Madeline was having the time of her life, and questioned if she had ever felt as happy as she does now.<p>

It was nearing Christmas, and she knew it was the twelfth due to the fact Alfred insisted they both have a chocolate Christmas calendar. She was dressed in a black pea coat, admiring the gorgeous window displays as she was walking to the mall when her cell phone started to ring.

Rummaging around her purse, she finally pulled out the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Madeline! How are you, my dear?"

"Papa! I'm great! How are you doing?"

"Well, I'm actually about to board onto a plane, so never better!"

"...Plane? Wh-where are you going?"

"To you, my dear! I'm going to spend Christmas with you! Surprise!"

Madeleine was definitely surprised. It wasn't that she didn't want her father there, of course not...It was just that she just hadn't told him of Alfred yet.

"Th-that's great! I can't wait to see you! When will you arrive here?"

"In a few hours...I should be in the airport around 5pm."

"Okay, papa, I can pick you up then. O-Oh that's my other line. I love you! Be safe!"

"I love you too, Madeline. See you soon!"

Madeline transferred the call with a shaky hand. "H-hello?"

"Hey Maddie."

"Alfred...hey...um, I have something to tell you."

"So do I...um...how do you feel about meeting my father?"

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** Orange rose: Desire, enthusiasm, fascination, _want to pursue a relationship further._


	10. Chapter 10: Meet the Fathers

The apprehension in Alfred's voice gave Madeline pause.

"Your father? He's here?"

"Y-yeah...he called me last night and told me that he's planning on coming down here for a visit, for Christmas, and to see how I've been doing."

"But this isn't a good thing, is it?"

Alfred sighed a bit away from the phone and muttered a quiet no. "I'm not looking forward to it, let's just say that. Our relationship has not been the best, as you know, since I chose to stay in America. But anyway! You had something to tell me?"

Madeline recalled the times Alfred told her how strict his father was; always finding little things wrong with him, always things he needed to improve upon. And this was just what Alfred admitted- there was probably much more to the story, Madeline was sure.

"Oh right. Well, my father is also coming down to visit me. I'm to pick him up at five...which is in just a few hours. I was thinking...maybe would you want to meet my father first? Then yours?"

"That works for me. I just hope all goes well with my old man. But if it's okay, then maybe the four of us could have dinner together on Christmas eve?"

Madeline absentmindedly nodded her head, watching the snow flutter down before her face as she walked. "That sounds perfect. Did you want to do it at my house or yours?"

"Would you mind if it were at my house, Maddie? I- I just kind of want to spend Christmas with you here."

Madeline blushed and agreed, the two finalizing their plans before she finished her shopping to go pick up her father.

She pulled up to the airport and parked, walking quickly inside and looked around, hoping to see a head of long blond hair. Many people were busy moving from one place to another, trying to orient themselves and find their belongings, making Madeline feel as though she were moving through sand. Up ahead, Madeline finally saw her father's playful smile up head which made her call out and walk quickly towards him.

"Papa!"

Francis turned his head quickly in her direction, his smile growing and lighting up his whole face. "Madeline! Oh, my darling, I've missed you!"

They met in a soft collision of their bodies, pressing together gently as arms wrapped around the other. Madeline told herself that she wouldn't cry, but she couldn't help but feel the tears leave her eyes from finally hugging her father once more.

"I missed you too, papa. It has been far too long..." She hid her face in his neck, inhaling the familiar scent of his rich cologne. The heat from his body was comforting, and Madeline was brought back instantly to when he would hold her in this way, running his hands over her back as he was and whispering soothing words in her ear.

They held each other for a few moments longer before breaking away- Madeline dabbing at her eyes while Francis picked up his bags. "Where's your car?"

She helped her father load his belongings into her car and drove back to her apartment, the two talking of anything and everything from the last time they talked to each other. She originally tried to give Francis her bedroom to sleep in, but he told her that he was taking her couch and set up camp.

Madeline was just fixing herself a cup of tea when movement caught her eye. Leaning against the doorway, Francis had his arms crossed and looked at his daughter with a curious look.

"What's wrong?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I know you, Madeline. I know that whenever you make yourself tea, you're feeling stressed. What's wrong."

Madeline lowered her head with a sigh, giving a small smile to her delicate, porcelain teacup. Her father knew her too well.

"I...I have been wanting to tell you something. Want some tea?"

"What is it, Madeline?"

Shifting from foot to foot, she felt her face heat up as she rushed out her confession in a whispered breath.

"Madeline. You cannot honestly believe I understood you." Francis walked towards her, his footfalls soft has he lifted her head with his finger under her chin. "Once more."

"I'm seeing someone."

She saw his eyes flicker slightly, taking in the information he was just told slowly. His hand dropped to her shoulder, holding her gently.

"And what's his name?"

* * *

><p>A hard knock was heard on Alfred's front door- a distinctive rapping that made his heart skip a beat. He bolted up from his couch, throwing his comic into a drawer, and ran to the front door. In the last moment he straightened his shirt and opened the door.<p>

"Hey, da-"

"About time you answered the door. You know I don't like your tardiness, Alfred."

A shorter, sandy haired man with irritable green eyes stood with his bags in either hand watching Alfred. Bags were just beginning to form underneath his eyes, making him look a few years older than he was. Near his temples were the lightest touches of grey, showing his age. Alfred inhaled slowly, nodding his head and moved to the side to allow the man to enter his home. Shutting the door behind him, he soon found a beige coloured tweed coat shoved into his face.

"Hang that up somewhere. I'm going to go for a shower, so if you could have some tea prepared for when I'm finished..."

Alfred stood there watching his father walk away without so much as a glance back, or a "I missed you, son."

* * *

><p>Francis was silent for most of her explanation of the last couple of months- of how they met, what he has done, and how he makes her feel. Although he was silent, Madeline saw the warmth shining deep within his eyes, making the rich blue practically sparkle. When she finished, he leaned over the table they moved to and grabbed her hand.<p>

"Madeline...I am so happy for you. Your beau sounds quite the young man. When do I get to meet him?"

Her heart tightened from how easily accepting her father was of the situation. But then again, deep down she knew she shouldn't have been nervous, because Francis always supported her decisions.

"How about tomorrow?"

* * *

><p>The teacup, his favourite rose patterned one, sat on the table before a vacant chair. Alfred's eyes were sightless as he stared at the empty space, the spoon clinking against the sides of his coffee filled glass. He just rested his elbow on the table when the sounds of footsteps came from the hall.<br>He straightened just in time to see Arthur stride in, sit down and take a long drink without acknowledging him. It was only when the cup made a soft noise as he set it back down did the striking green eyes turn to him.

"So how have you been, Alfred?"

"I-I've been well, thank you. How have you been?"

Arthur made a small sound, lifting his shoulders with an elegant raise. "The same, unfortunately. How's your job?"

"Fine...I received a raise last week."

The Englishman nodded, taking another long drink and looking around. "Your place seems to have improved from the last time I came here."

"I've had a reason to keep it neater. Which leads me to something I want to talk to you about."

"Oh Alfred, do I really want to hear this?"

Alfred took a deep calming breath, trying to regain the patience that was quickly slipping away from him. But unfortunately it wasn't enough and he just glared at Arthur.

"I just wanted to tell you that I have a girlfriend. There. You are meeting her in a few days, so at least try to be nice. I hope your room is to your liking."

With that Alfred stood and walked upstairs to his bedroom, shutting the door , and walking to his bed in a way that was reminiscent to when he was a child.

* * *

><p>Madeline turned the cup of coffee around in her hands, watching from her seat in a small cafe as Alfred walked inside. Her father was facing her, with his back to the door so he didn't see him coming. With a reassuring nod, Alfred smiled to Madeline as she stood.<p>

"Papa, I would like to introduce you to Alfred. Alfred, this is my father, Francis."

Alfred extended his hand out and shook the man's hand firmly, giving his easy smile, but Madeline could see the wariness deep within his sky blue eyes. Francis returned the handshake with a smile of his own, looking the man up and down.

"Nice to meet you, sir."

"It is nice to meet you as well, Alfred. My little Madeline has told me so much about you. It is nice to meet the man that has made my daughter so happy."

Madeline looked at her father with a pink face, which Alfred thought to be quite adorable as he watched her avoid his eyes. Alfred just smiled and sat down beside Madeline.

The three spoke easily of many different things, Francis casually inquiring about his work, life, and goals, to which Alfred responded with ease. The two men hit it off nicely, both surprised to how well they liked the other so quickly. At first Alfred was not used to how outspoken the Frenchman was, but he quickly got used to it. He made a few comments to Madeline in French, tilting his head towards Alfred with a smirk on his face which caused Madeline to blush and hiss something back to her father in their language. Alfred didn't push it.

At the end of their little coffee get together, the men shook hands once more, and Francis took the moment to pull Alfred aside as Madeline excused herself to the bathroom. Slinging an arm over his shoulders as they walked outside, Francis spoke in a calm, even voice.

"So you like my daughter, do you?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Good. I can see you are a good man, Alfred. Just know- she is my baby. I don't want to see her hurt...you understand?"

"Yes. And know that I would never in my life hurt Madeline in any way, shape, or form."

"Good."

Madeline joined them shortly, and they parted ways, the two of them sneaking a quick kiss as Francis stepped into the car.

"My father tomorrow. Are you ready for that?"

"As long as you're there, I'll be fine."

* * *

><p>The three of them sat at Alfred's dinner table in his home, quiet and solemn as they looked over their breakfast without touching it. Arthur wasn't really talking, but had more of a bored expression, constantly checking his watch as though he had somewhere to be.<p>

"So...Mable was it?"

"No, my name is-"

"Her name is Madeline, father."

"Right, right. So how did you two meet? In a bar? A club? Party maybe?"

Madeline's face turned red as she looked down into her lap, squirming slightly under the crude interview she had been enduring for the last few minutes. After establishing her lifestyle, he finally asked her about Alfred.

"No...no not a bar. We met on the street-"

"Oh really? The streets?"

"We bumped into each other on the street while both of us were on our way somewhere, _father_."

Arthur made a noncommittal hum, bringing his hand up to study his fingernails, as if there were dirt beneath the nails.

Madeline looked to Alfred to see his ears bright red and glaring at his father, a look formed from rage shining in his eyes. Subtly Madeline reached over and covered his hand that was clenched on his knee, which opened to envelop hers instantly.

"We are going to have a family dinner together on Christmas Eve. Are you interested?"

That made cold emerald eyes turn up to the young couple. "That would work. Well, unfortunately I must be off- I agreed to meet up with someone here in town. It was nice to meet you Mable-"

"Madeline!"

"Madeline! See you then."

Arthur walked out of the room and the shut of the front door signalled his departure.

Madeline was silent for a moment before she spoke to her lap. "He doesn't like me."

"No, he doesn't like _me, _Maddie. There's nothing not to like about you..."

With a smile born of trying to cheer both his girlfriend up, as well as himself, Alfred leaned closer in his chair to her, kissing her cheeks, nose, forehead, and neck on each word.

"You are beautiful, kind, adorable, selfless, intelligent, compassionate, and completely...and utterly..." Alfred looked into her eyes for a moment, running his hands through her hair to hold her head. "...Perfect."

He kissed Madeline gently on the lips, keeping it gentle and tender as they eventually deepened the kiss. After a few minutes they drew away, breathing heavily and staring at each other with hooded lids.

"Don't worry about my father. He's been like that his whole life...well...most of it. He was a great dad when I was a kid, but after a while...he just changed. Anyway. How would you feel about spending the next few nights here, until after Christmas?"

Madeline felt her face heat up at the idea of sleeping here with Alfred. It would be nice, and then also her father would have her apartment to himself and they wouldn't have to share. With a soft smile she agreed.

* * *

><p>The following days were spent in a way that was extremely domestic for them. Alfred and Madeline went shopping together for gifts, went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for their supper, and for baking they wanted to do. Alfred was like a child, an adorable child, when he spotted the build-your-own gingerbread houses. With a grin, he slid the box into the cart when Madeline wasn't looking and focusing on what spices she should buy.<p>

"Do you think we need basil, or- hey! I saw that, mister Jones."

"You saw nothing!"

Madeline laughed and swatted his shoulder, but left the box in the cart, much to the joy of Alfred. He displayed his happiness by attacking her neck in kisses, making her let out the cutest of noises from embarrassment. After they stocked up with a huge cartload of groceries, they drove back to Alfred's home and unloaded everything- keeping the gingerbread house out.

"Where are you going to put that?"

"Oh, I'm not putting it anywhere! We are going to make it tonight!"

"Don't you think it's a little early?" Madeline asked with a giggle.

"Practice makes perfect!"

With an eyebrow wiggle, Alfred tore into the box, taking out the pieces of the house, the icing bag, and the assortment of candies. Madeline shook her head and cleared away the countertop, making more room for them before hip checking Alfred to the side.

"Hey!"

"You are going to eat the candies, I just know it. Plus, I don't trust you cutting the icing bag, so I'll do it."

Madeline took out the bag and brought up the scissors, moving slowly to ensure it was the perfect size.

"Don't screw up..." Alfred chanted by her ear, staring at her hands as she tried to not shake from laughter.

Finally when everything was opened and arranged, the two of them assembled the house and began to decorate. Sure enough, Alfred snuck a few candies, and even passed a candied mint from his mouth to hers in a surprise kiss. Madeline tried to be artistic by making makeshift icicles on the edge of the roof, while Alfred made a disorganized pattern on the sides of the house. Madeline accidentally nudged an area of fresh icing and it transferred to her fingers, everything soon becoming sticky.

Alfred, never one to turn down an opportunity snaked his hand out and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his mouth to slowly clean her skin of the icing. Madeline felt her face heat up as she watched his lust darkened eyes watch her as his mouth worked, sucking off the icing. When he drew away, Madeline didn't know what came over herself, but she put a bit of icing on the swell of his bottom lip. Alfred looked at her in surprise for a moment before she leaned up and sucked on his lip to clean off the icing as well.

The gingerbread house was soon forgotten.


	11. Chapter 11: Christmas

"You sure we have everything?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"What about-"

"Madeline! Stop panicking! Everything is going to be alright, and tonight is going to be lovely. The turkey is almost done, I have the potatoes mashed...relax," Alfred emphasized by moving his open hands in a downward movement. Madeline just glared at him over her shoulder as she prepared the salad.

When they finished setting the table, Madeline stepped back from Alfred, holding out her arms. "So, is this okay?"

Madeline's hair fell in soft waves, the stray hair around her face pinned back with a small brooch. She wore a black skirt down to her knees with a burgundy blouse tucked into her skirt, while Alfred wore a crisp, dark green shirt underneath a black vest, with black pants.

"You look great, Maddie."

She looked him up and down with a soft blush on her face. "As do you."

They held hands as they walked into the living room that they'd finished decorating the other day. Choosing a fake tree, Alfred set it up while Madeline set out the decorations they bought together, which were a red and silver theme.

Putting up the garland over the cabinet almost ended in a concussion when Madeline misjudged how close Alfred was beneath her. Then the wreath was almost destroyed when they tried to remove it from the box, but other than the two hiccups, "operation decoration"- as Alfred put it- went by swimmingly.

Their fathers were to appear any time now, and they stood near the front door, waiting. After about five minutes passed, a car pulled up that Madeline instantly recognized as her car.

"Papa!"

She opened the door as he got out of the car, and he walked into the house quickly, carting a bag with him.

"Hello you two! Oh, my little Madeline, how gorgeous you look tonight. And Alfred, you clean up well. Quite a strapping young man."

Alfred helped him remove his winter clothes, hanging them up as Madeline took his bag. He pulled her into a close hug before doing the same to Alfred.

"Merry Christmas to you both. I brought gifts and wine! I hope you like it, Alfred."

He nodded his head to the man and smiled. "Thank you, sir, I'm sure it's wonderful."

Madeline set the bottle of wine on the table before taking out a few glasses and pouring a bit in each. Alfred removed the gifts in his bag and set them under the tree to the side before sitting on the couch in wait for his father.

Francis joined his daughter, the two joking and talking in French as they commented on the table, decorations, and the like. Alfred didn't mind, he was far off in an adjoining room with his focus on the door.

Time ticked by, and the three people grew impatient- wanting to just eat already. Instead they took the time to open the gifts- Madeline received a large gardening kit and book, along with the white teddy bear that she left at home. Alfred was given a rich set of clothes and accessories, with an apology from Francis stating that he was unsure on what to get him. Alfred didn't mind and felt appreciative of his gesture, finding the clothes extremely luxurious.

After they had set aside their gifts, finally a car pulled up in front of the house. Alfred immediately straightened and walked to the door, holding open wide for Arthur to walk inside.

"Merry Christmas-"

"Yes yes, Happy Christmas, son. Easy now, I can't quite get around. Fell off your diet did you?"

Madeline looked to her father with a sad face and hid behind him slightly, waiting for Arthur to walk further into the house. Francis looked to his daughter in slight confusion, but looked back to the newcomer with a watchful eye.

Arthur looked up to the other family and gave them a small, pinched smile. "Hello...Madeline. And this is...?"

Francis stepped forward and extended his hand out to the man. "My name is Francis Bonnefoy. And you?"

Suddenly Arthur's face dropped from hearing the man's accented voice. "Mm, Bonnefoy is it? French?"

"Yes it is..." Francis answered with a hint of confusion in his voice.

It was obvious that Arthur took his hand reluctantly. "I see...Well I'm Arthur Kirkland."

The men had a bit of a non-verbal standoff as they shook hands, until Alfred cleared his throat.

"Well, supper has been ready for a little while now...and I'm starving so, let's all sit down, alright?"

The fathers broke apart a little violently and walked to the table, Alfred and Madeline sitting beside each other with their fathers beside them.

"Oh, Madeline, Alfred, this looks wonderful!"

"Mm, yes it's quite nice."

Madeline and Alfred thanked them, somewhat surprised over Arthur's admission. Everyone sat down and began to eat, falling into a casual conversation- that is until Arthur started. First he made a few digs about Alfred's eating- how he resembled a pig in a trough, then about the bland food- to which caused a bit of a sparring match on cooking between him and Alfred. From there it escalated from Alfred criticizing Arthur's cooking in return, to somehow Arthur claiming all of Alfred's decisions had been a mistake.

Alfred was soon becoming red faced, and Madeline held her father's hand under the table. She had never seen him like this before, nor did she like it.

Francis cleared his throat, trying to talk over Arthur's yelling. "Now, now, it's Christmas eve after all-"

"Keep out of this you stupid frog, what do you know of our problems?"

Madeline glared over to the man and in an eerily calm voice, she told him, "don't talk to my father that way."

Arthur just looked to her with a bored look on his face. "Who are you again?"

Alfred rose to his feet instantly, looking his father down and Madeline could see that he was ready to explode. It took a wave of the hand from Francis to stop Alfred, drawing all attention to him.

With a look of distain, Francis stood up as well, but put his hands down on the table, as he stared Arthur down. "_Tu es écoeurant et tu mérite un coup de pied dans le cul_."

He looked over to Alfred with a remorseful expression. "I'm sorry, Alfred, but I find myself unable to remain here. I will speak with you later. Merry Christmas." He left the table and began to walk to the front door. Madeline stood up quickly to follow close behind him.

"What the hell was that? What did he say to me?" Arthur demanded, staring over at his son.

Alfred just stood there, his fists clenching as they rested at his sides. Taking a deep breath he looked to the side, not meeting Arthur's eyes as he said hoarsely, "leave."

"What?"

"I said..._leave_. Don't make me ask a third time, father."

Arthur threw his chair back and stormed from the room, exiting it with the slam of the front door. Alfred watched him leave; walking to the window to make sure he got into his car and drove off. Madeline was standing on the lawn with her father, seemingly talking to him a mile a minute with tears rolling down her eyes. Francis was trying to console her, hugging her to him, and rubbing her back. Alfred watched as he drew away, assumedly telling her he had to go, which he did. Madeline stood there and watched him drive off a while after Arthur had, until he was out of sight.

Alfred was waiting for her in the hallway when she came back in, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Maddie..."

He opened his arms to her when she ran towards him, crying against his chest in heart-wrenching sobs. "I-I just wanted tonight to go well...for our families to get along...but they hate each other, Al. What-"

"Don't worry about it. We like each other, and your dad likes me- I hope- so that's all that matters. My father...he doesn't need to be part of the family. I couldn't care less if he approved or not."

Madeline knew that he was just talking, that he did care about his father deep down, but the hurt was too strong to try and talk compassionately.

"Now...let's not let this ruin our night. We are going to snack on some of our baking- no, I don't care that it's for tomorrow- and we are going to watch a movie. Then bed. Any objections? No? Okay cool- I'm going to go clean off the table. You pick a movie."

Alfred didn't let Madeline have a moment to speak, instead talking quickly, wiping her tears away and giving her a quick kiss before walking out. Madeline smiled softly and walked to the bedroom to choose a movie to watch on the television in there.

* * *

><p>Madeline had changed into her nightgown and curled up under the covers, holding the controller, waiting for Alfred as the Grinch was on pause. Alfred appeared holding, somewhat precariously, a tray of snacks, and two glasses of milk. On the tray were gingerbread cookies, peanut butter balls, and shortbread cookies.<p>

"The feast has arrived! What movie did you pick? The Grinch? Oh yes, good job."

He placed the drinks down on the bedside table as Madeline took the tray. Alfred slid in beside her, kissing her on the cheek before gorging himself on a shortbread cookie. Madeline just rolled her eyes and watched the movie.

They chose not to talk about what happened that night, leaving it for another day, and trying to salvage the rest of their night together.

As the movie progressed, Madeline felt herself slowly nod off. Alfred noticed this and moved the tray off of the bed after eating one more cookie, turned off the movie along with the lights. Madeline laid back against the pillows on her side, making it irresistible for Alfred to cuddle up behind her.

* * *

><p>Madeline awoke to a soft prodding on her shoulder. "Maddie...Maddie! Wake up!"<p>

She moaned and tried to hide her face in the pillows, which made Alfred lean over and rip the covers off of her.

"Hey-!"

"It's Christmas!"

"What are you, _four?"_

"Oh come on, sleepy head! I'll even make you coffee."

"...fine."

Madeline rolled out of bed ungracefully, grabbing a blanket to wrap around her. Alfred just chuckled and ran from the room, brushed his teeth while making the coffee so they could open their gifts. He had woken up in the middle of the night to ensure his gift was ready.

And it was, resting in an ornate glass vase on the dining table.

Alfred waited for Madeline to finish brushing her teeth and come into the room, his arms folded and his back against the kitchen counter so he could watch her reaction.

Sure enough, she walked into the room and completely missed it, her eyes closed as she yawned into the blanket. She walked straight to the cupboard, grabbed a glass, and poured herself some water.

After downing the entire glass, she looked to the side when she felt Alfred staring at her. "...Thirsty," was all she said as she set the glass back down.

Alfred shook his head and grinned, looking at her expectantly.

"What?" Madeline looked from him to the counter, around the kitchen, until finally her eyes fell upon the dining table.

Not only was there a new, gorgeous milk glass vase on his table, but two roses. One lavender rose, and a red rose. Madeline's heart stopped, she was sure of it. Trying to steady her breathing, she walked over to the display with Alfred following behind her. She felt his hands snake around her waist, pulling her back against him as he kissed the back of her neck.

"I do believe almost everyone knows what a red rose means. I didn't even have to look that one up. Aren't you proud?" Alfred chuckled, his warm skin brushing against her skin. Without giving her a change to speak, he continued, whispering against her ear.

"And I do, Maddie. Madeline, I love you so much, and I think I have since the moment I met you. You are everything I've ever wanted and more, and I only hope you feel the same way...but if you don't that's-"

Madeline turned quickly in his arms, and to his surprise there were tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't be an idiot! Of course I love you, you..." Madeline's voice broke so she settled with leaning forward and kissing him with everything she had.

Alfred pulled away after a few moments, giving her a few quick pecks before laughing softly. "I'm glad. I'd want to continue this, but that's not all I have for you..."

Madeline groaned slightly, smiling. "My presents are going to pale in comparison to yours now..."

He just smiled over his shoulder before leading her to the tree. In the tree sat a small box, nestled nearby a cluster of red ornaments. He took the box out and held it out to her.

"For you!"

"...what's this?"

"You'll see."

Madeline looked up at him under her lashes for a moment before opening the box slowly.

Inside sat a pristine silver key attached to a key chain with red and white beads. She looked up at Alfred, who was blushing slightly and scratching the back of his head.

"Madeline...would you want to move in with me?"

The box snapped shut and bounced slightly on the nearby couch before the two fell to the ground from the force of Madeline's tackle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Red: "I love you"  
>Lavender: Love at first sight, enchantment<p> 


	12. Chapter 12: New Years

A groan was accompanied by the dull thunk of a box. "There! I think that's the last of them!"

"You sure?"

An exasperated sigh. "Yes, papa, I don't have _that _much stuff!"

Alfred, Madeline, and Francis stood in the living room of Alfred's apartment, looking around at the boxes they just brought in- all belonging to Madeline. Francis was ecstatic when he was told of Alfred's invitation, and was more than willing to help with the move before he left for home.

Madeline informed her landlord of her move, and should be out of her apartment by the first of February. The three of them collected her things and moved them into Alfred's place, which luckily was big enough to house her belongings. Now, on December 31st, they managed to bring the last box in.

"Well, I shall leave you two to placing everything where you want it. I have a few things I want to do around town before I have to go to the airport."

"Okay, papa, and remember I can drive you there when you get back."

"I know. Thank you dear." Francis walked over to her and kissed her cheek, giving Madeline a long hug before moving to pat Alfred on the shoulder. "I'll see you both later."

The couple watched him leave, turning then to start unpacking, setting his suitcases near the door for when he returned. Alfred went to the bedroom and began to take out some of her clothes, placing them onto the bed in wait for further instruction. Madeline watched how tenderly he unpacked her things, smiling down at her clothes as he laid them out. Walking over she rubbed his back, then took her things to put them away.

"So...what did you want to do for New Years?"

She started when she felt Alfred slip his arms around her waist to bring her closer to him. "Gilbert spoke of throwing a party. A lot of people are going to be there...if you're interested."

Shuddering from the hot breath on her neck, she held onto the hanger tighter. Clearing her throat, she looked over her shoulder to whisper, "that sounds like fun."

His lips moved over her neck and shoulder, unable to stop himself from reaching out and touching her. The sight of her, the _scent_ of her was slowly driving him mad with need. Turning her around, he lowered her sweater to lavish attention on her collar bone.

"A-Alfred-"

Something in him snapped and he found himself picking her up and throwing her onto the bed, climbing over her soon after. He swooped down and took her lips with his, planning to deepen the lip lock. But when he felt her rigidity he pulled away to look down into her wide, violet eyes and hesitated.

"Are you okay, Maddie?"

She wasn't able to speak, so she just licked her lips, nodding up to him and looking back and forth from each eye. He gave her a reassuring smile, moving down to press against her soft lips. Pleasure once more exploded through his body, making him go through with his desire and deepening the kiss as he moved over her, hands exploring.

Madeline could barely think, the feeling of his mouth working on hers was all encompassing. The slide of his tongue on hers, feeling his strong body on top of hers...She tore her mouth away, needing to breathe.

"Al...Alfred, I don't know about..."

"What's wrong, Maddie?"

She tried to look away, but Alfred cupped her cheek so her face turned to him. Reluctantly, she whispered very softly, "I've never gone much further than this..."

Alfred just stared down into her nervous looking violet eyes with a sense of awe. Virgin. Madeline, _his_ Maddie was _untouched_. His hands shook from the pleasure of that knowledge, but also from nerves. He couldn't rush this, not when she was unpractised. He closed his eyes and let out a breath, sitting up to give her room.

He didn't know that his reaction was interpreted in the negative, Madeline looking at the side of his head with a pained expression. Taking in a shuddering breath, she tried to tell him, "I...I'm sorry if that bothers you..."

Alfred whipped his head around, "no! No, Maddie, that doesn't bother me at all! I just- I just didn't want to rush you..."

The hurt slowly drifted away, leaving Madeline to feel relieved and yet embarrassed. "Let's uhm...I'll go make us something to eat!"

"But- Mad-"

She kissed him on the lips quickly and sprung out of the room, leaving Alfred to sigh and lie back against the pillows. Five months. They had been together for five months, and all he had managed to do was make out with her. He loved her, and he wanted to take it slow, but he couldn't help it. It had been so long, and with her moving in, it only made it even more difficult for him to try and fight his urges. Sleeping beside her soft, warm body was temptation in itself, leaving him in near pain every morning.

With another sigh, he stood and joined her in the kitchen. He has waited five months, he can wait a little longer.

* * *

><p>"So, you spoke of a party?" Madeline wrapped her arms around Alfred's shoulders, watching the television screen as a character ran down a deserted street. The screen emitted slight growling sounds, but Alfred looked to the side, trying to see her face.<p>

"Yeah! You want to go?" His fingers still managed to find the buttons on the controller, and know how to kill the monster that ran at his character.

She watched him play for a few moments before kissing his temple. "I think I could be down for that."

Screams were heard from the game before it turned off and Alfred turned to Madeline. "Awesome! We have about two hours before people will start arriving at Gilbert's-"

Madeline sprung up from behind him, nearly knocking Alfred forward in her haste to get up. "Not good! I have to go shower!"

Alfred just blinked at her as he watched her slight form run down the hall and disappear into the bathroom. With a chuckle he stood and followed her, knocking on the door. "Want me to join you?" he called with a leer in his voice. All he was given in response was the sound of a huff and a bang on the door. Alfred laughed and walked to their room, picking out what he was going to wear.

The apartment was a little cleaner now, after he finished putting everything away that needed to be as Madeline drove her father to the airport. Walking around the place now, he felt a distinct change in the air. It felt much warmer now, and near perfect. But, he wouldn't feel satisfied until he finalized his purchase...

Looking over his closet, Alfred decided to wear a brown blazer over a white lined shirt and his typical black pants. He was just rolling up his sleeves when Madeline walked in- a long towel around her body. Her skin was still damp, the water still beaded on her shoulders, neck, chest-

"I'm all ready, so- I'll go play my game a bit more so I'll leave you to get dressed..."

Madeline watched him hurry out of the room with slight confusion as she began to towel dry her hair.

* * *

><p>"We should get going soo-"<p>

"I'm ready!"

Alfred turned off his game once more, satisfied with the advanced level he reached and walked towards the door. He was just slipping on his shoes, coat on and keys for the door in hand when Madeline appeared. She had on a soft, beige empire waist dress which had a crimson trim on the bottom, at the waist, and at the top. She wore a red cardigan of a matching shade, if anything a little darker. Beneath the dress were leggings, and she had simple, black ankle boots.

Madeline didn't notice Alfred's stare and blush, since she was rushing to get her perfume from the table as she swirled a coat over her clothes. While her fingers fumbled to do up her buttons, she looked up then.

"Let's go- you okay?"

Clearing his throat, shook his head slightly and smiled at her. "Yup! Let's go..." He opened the door to let her go through first, and took the opportunity to whisper in her ear as she passed. "You look amazing, by the way."

Madeline looked back at him, blushing, and continued out of the building.

* * *

><p>"I-I don't think I can do this!"<p>

The music was blasting from the house, nearly drowning out the sounds of the voices from inside. Pressed back against Alfred, his hands were on her shoulders in reassurance as they heard a harsh voice approach on the other side of the door.

"It'll be fine! I'll be right beside y-"

The door swung open to reveal a man who already looked half in the bag. He laughed in a way that resembled a cackle when he saw them. Madeline studied his face for a moment, and recalled that he was the one who was with Alfred in the restaurant all those months ago.

"Jones! Y'son of a bitch, you finally arrived!"

"Beilschmidt! Long time no see! You remember Madeline-"

"Sexy little Maddie, of course I do!" A wink at the blushing woman. "Come in!"

Gilbert reached down and grabbed her hand, almost pulling her into the house and leaving Alfred to follow. Once he entered and shut the door, however, he reached between the other two and grasped Gilberts wrist. Feeling the warning squeeze, Gilbert let go laughing.

"Sorry! Hey! Hey Edelstien!" The red-eyed man looked to a solemn looking man sitting on the couch reading with a smirk. He looked back to the couple for a moment before running off towards the man. "The beer is over there. Later!"

They watched as he plunked down beside the man, snatching the book away with a laugh. Madeline looked away when she felt Alfred remove her coat, hanging both of theirs up in the large closet.

"Well, you've survived Gilbert, so I'm sure you can deal with everyone else! Let's go get something to drink!"

Madeline looked around as she was led towards the drinks, taking in all the other partygoers. A tall, serious looking man with slicked back blonde hair stood by an energetic brown haired male, who was currently gesturing wildly with his hands as he spoke. Although he looked serious, the man had a sense of warmth in his eyes as he looked down at the man.

Not too far away stood a man who looked just like the brown haired male, leaning against the wall with a sour look to his face. A taller man had his forearm above their head, resting on the wall as he stared down at him with loving emerald eyes. He seemed to be sweet-talking him which was not going over well.

There were many other people in the home, but the only other group of people that she had the chance to study as they walked were at the table of drinks. A petite blonde woman stood between two tall light haired men. She wore a big smile as she leaned against a taller man, seemingly her boyfriend, or maybe husband. The man had glasses, and a head of blonde hair with a very serious look to his face. The other blonde male stood with a much cheerier look on his face. His eyes crinkled at the corners from his smile, a good indicator seeing as his mouth was almost entirely hidden by the scarf he wore.

Two sets of similar violet eyes, plus one set of blue ones fell upon the couple as they neared. The blue eyed blonde nodded his head in greeting as his little woman greeted them with a smile.

"Hello, Alfred! How have you been? And who is this?"

The last man sobered a bit and lowered his scarf as they approached. He still had a smile on his face- one of strained welcome as he looked between the two. "Jones," his accented voice called out in a soft voice.

Alfred nodded back to the man, "hello Berwald. Hello Maria! It has been too long! This is my girlfriend, Madeline." He looked over to the man who spoke. "Hello Braginski." Alfred gestured to his friends, "this is Berwald, his wife Maria, and this is Ivan."

Berwald smiled down to Madeline and uttered a deep hello, Maria gave her a big hug in welcome, but Ivan stepped closer. He had a curious look in his eyes as he looked down at her, extending his hand and taking hers. Madeline's eyes widened as she looked up at the larger male, feeling his warm hand grasp hers tenderly before his lips grazed the back.

"A pleasure to meet you, Maddie..."

"N-nice to meet you too..."

"Come on Maddie! Let's have a drink while we leave the men to talk!"

Madeline looked helplessly to Alfred as she was dragged away by the smaller woman. Alfred gave her a reassuring look before his gaze fell back on Ivan. Madeline looked at him for a moment in confusion as his expression darkened towards the other man. Maria giggled as she looked to Berwald who was the one who looked to her helplessly.

* * *

><p>Time passed, drinks were consumed, and soon Madeline felt herself become tipsy, borderline drunk. The night had gone flawlessly, even after seeing Lars with Bella. Madeline was walking down the hallway of the second floor with Alfred when she stumbled and fell against the wall. Alfred laughed, slightly buzzed himself, and pressed her shoulders flat against the wall-thinking that's the best way to hold her up.<p>

Looking up at him with wide, lust filled eyes, Madeline slowly brought her hands over his chest to cup his face. Alfred let go of her shoulders, one to hold her waist while he ran a knuckle down her cheek with the other. Cupping her face, they met half way for a tender kiss which soon progressed as their passion increased. Madeline was just wrapping her leg around him with his hand running along it to slip underneath her dress when a woman's laugh snapped them out of it.

Breaking away, they looked down the right side of the hall to see Bella stumble out of one of the rooms, hanging on to Lars who was standing ramrod still, staring at the couple. Madeline looked Lars up and down for a moment before smirking at him and bringing Alfred's head down for another kiss.

She heard Bella laughing somewhat awkwardly as she pulled Lars away.

The pair gave each other a sheepish look a few moments later before going back downstairs. Another hour passed, and they had drifted apart once more. There was five minutes until the new year, and Madeline was intent of trying to find Alfred. Walking through the crowd of people, she thought she saw a flash of blonde up ahead. Moving a little faster, she turned down the hall before walking into an empty room- or so she thought. Lounging on the couch was the man from before, Ivan.

He looked up at her when she entered with a slight smile. "So we meet again, little one. What brings you over here?"

"H-hello...! I, um...I'm just looking for Alfre-" she felt the need to back up when the man stood and approached her. He had the look of a predator who just discovered their new prey.

"Unfortunately he isn't here. But...would I do in his stead?" he asked, deceptively cheerful as he pointed to himself. She noticed that his voice seemed a little deeper as she spoke with him than what it was before, and he seemed much more serious.

She laughed a nervously, reaching behind her subtly to grab onto the door handle. "I'm sure you would be just fine...but..." she swallowed as he took a step closer, so close that she could almost feel the heat coming off of his body. "...but I have to go find Al!"

With that she quickly turned the knob and ran from the room; the sounds of his laughter following her. She could hear the group of people by the television start their countdown from ten, and she started to look through the mob.

_"Four! Three! Two!"_

Sighing in defeat, she was about to walk closer to join the group when suddenly a hand grabbed her and swung her around for a deep kiss.

_"One! Happy new year!"_

She was rigid until she realized who it was that kissed her. Alfred pulled away smiling at her, the tip of his ears a little red from either a blush or alcohol.

"Happy new year, Maddie."

Madeline whispered it back to him before grabbing his hand and dragging him from the house. It was a little difficult for the two of them walk back to their home while they were intoxicated, but they made it- falling against the walls once they entered. They nearly fell to the ground as they kissed, but miraculously they made their bed. Alfred placed her down on the center of the bed, moving to her neck to mark her with bites and bruises.

Feeling light headed, Madeline stretched, giving him more access to her skin as her hands roamed his back, needing to feel his skin. He was just about to remove her shirt when she managed to ask in a breathless gasp, "do you have any protection?"

Alfred froze. His mind raced from his bedside drawer, to each and every compartment in the bathroom, and then even possible areas in the kitchen or living room. Nothing.

With a groan he slumped against her, shaking his head. He felt her hands run through his hair, playing absently with his one errant strand before she sighed.

"I guess we need to go shopping sometime soon, eh?"

He nodded, feeling like he could cry on the inside. Well, at least she was still up to the idea. Feeling as though the moment was gone, plus wanting to keep the foreplay a part of the main event, Alfred just kissed Madeline's now sleepy face once more before getting up.

"I think maybe it's time we went to bed...tomorrow morning, I'm making a list of things we need..."

His response was a soft, feminine snore.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello! I'm sorry for missing my update last week...writers block and midterms ganged up on me :( But! Here is the latest chapter, I hope you liked it!

A few cameos! Austria, Prussia, Germany, N. Italy, Spain, Romano, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the return of Netherlands and Belgium!

Maria = Finland. Why Fem!Finland? _Because I can_ *evil laughter* That and I feel Sweden loves Finland no matter what gender.

Anyway. Until next time.


	13. Chapter 13: Plucking of the Flower

With her hands wrapped around her legs, Madeline looked out the window and watched the snow dance gracefully on the other side. It was a beautiful day, not too cold, and the skies were clear. She turned her head to see Alfred, sitting on the ground before the coffee table, sticking out his tongue in concentration as he wrote his list.

Smiling, she leaned over ruffled his hair. "Come on, we don't need that much stuff!"

"We gotta be sure!" Alfred chewed on the eraser, thinking of anything else they might need. Of course, what he lacked last night was first on the list.

Madeline stood and walked over to the window, softly running her finger over the cool pane. "Hey, Alfred..." as she spoke, her breath slowly fogged up the window, obstructing her view. "It's a really nice day out today. How about we go skating?"

He looked up at her in slight surprise, but pouted. "But-but the list...!"

"We can get them tomorrow! This'll be fun!"

"B-but..." Seeing her soft pleading face, he knew he didn't have a chance. Alfred pursed his lips and threw the pen away. "Fine. I just have to go find my skates."

Jumping slightly from excitement, Madeline rushed over to him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you!"

Alfred watched her run to the bedroom, blushing slightly as he made his way to the hallway closet. Duffle bag in hand, he entered their bedroom but stopped when he saw the look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"...why are some of my things in boxes? I distinctly remember unpacking some of these as well..." Madeline looked up at him with questioning eyes, and she was a little confused to see an unreadable expression on his face. "Alfred?"

"Oh, you know...we don't need some of those out yet! We can wait until later to take them out," he laughed, moving towards the closet. "Now come on, let's get dressed!"

Madeline frowned at his back. His excuse did not put her at ease, not in the slightest. Why wouldn't they need her belongings? Was he- no. Madeline shook her head and moved to get dressed as well, anxious to go skating.

* * *

><p>When they arrived at a nearby lake , the sun was shining and bouncing off of the snow, making everything nice and bright. There was little wind, so there wasn't a bite to the air. The two put on their skates quickly, placing the bag on a nearby snow-covered table. Alfred almost couldn't catch up with her, Madeline was moving so fast towards the ice.<p>

"You really like this kind of stuff, don't you?"

He heard her soft laughter before she looked over her shoulder, eyes sparkling. "I love winter. There's nothing I love more than gliding over the ice, feeling the wind comb through my hair as I try to go faster. I dabbled in hockey, curling...but I mainly preferred figure skating back home. It was so much fun! I remember my dad taking me to the rink almost every second day, and how he was during my performances..."

Madeline stepped onto the ice and immediately took off, leaving Alfred to step onto the ice on his own. He watched how Madeline skated further away, her hair billowing behind her as the small beret miraculously stayed on. His contemplation on the magic of her hat stopped abruptly when he watched her distant figure begin to skate back towards him. She spun once before she was off of the ice, twirling around and landing with her left leg extended behind her. To his amazement, she kept that up for a moment, gliding towards him until she lowered her leg back down, skating back normally.

As she neared, Alfred started to cheer and clap loudly. "Wow! Maddie that was amazing!"

Her hands grabbed the collar of her jacket and brought it up over her cheeks. "Thanks! I just wanted to see if I was still able to do it. I haven't done it in a while now..."

"Well I'm impressed! I wish I could move like that. All I know how to do is..."

Alfred took off, closing the distance between them as he grabbed her hand. Skating backwards, he placed his hand on her waist as his other kept her hand. Madeline snapped into attention, helping him as they moved along the ice. Luckily for them, they were the two of ten people on the entire lake, from what they could see, so they were able to move as they pleased.

"You-?"

"I was in hockey, but I also picked up a few moves here and there from helping a friend with a competition they were in."

"What else did you have to do?"

Alfred smirked down to her before changing their positions. Now they were both moving forward, hands held as Madeline was in front of him. They moved like this for a while, Alfred moving his head forward to kiss her cheek before turning whispering for her to turn around. Madeline turned quickly, skating in front of him until his grip on her hands tightened. With a nod and one quick movement, he hoisted her above him, one hand in hers, on the other on a thigh.

Laughing from sheer amazement, Madeline looked around the lake to see the other skaters standing and presumably looking their way. The cool air kissed her skin, giving her that all too familiar burn in her cheeks. Her muscles trembled slightly from holding herself up, but she had done this before, and it made her so happy to do it again. The strength Alfred displayed amazed her; how he managed to keep her up above him without straining in the slightest. The moment was over too soon, as she felt Alfred bring her leisurely down his front as they slowed to a stop. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"That was amazing, Alfred! We should do this more often..."

"Definitely."

The two skated for a bit longer, refraining from doing anymore tricks, before Alfred offered to go warm up the car for them, leaving Madeline to skate on her own. Now that she was alone, she took the moment to really lose herself. Picking up speed, she danced over the ice as long as she could. Her hand lifted up to her hair, making sure all her bobby pins were still secured on her hat, but noticed they were beginning to fail.

She wasn't aware of the fact she moved so far until when she looked back, she couldn't see the path they walked down. As Madeline gilded forward leisurely, she was just about to turn back when she noticed a lone skater up ahead. From what she could tell, it was a man with short blonde hair who wore a tan jacket and a pristine ivory scarf. As though he didn't see Madeline approach, he was lost in his movements. There was a passion in each gesture, in the movement of his body and from each turn of his foot that ensnared her gaze. The man performed axel jumps, twirling around the ice in a way that made her think he was practicing for something.

She was unprepared for violet eyes to fall on her after his smooth landing, how hot her face was, and to realize just how close she was to him.

"O-oh..."

Escape was out of the question when he glided in front of her, blocking her path. "Madeline! What a pleasure to see you here!" Ivan closed the distance between them, standing a little closer than she would have liked. "I saw you dance earlier with the American...he dulled the beauty of your performance.

"Th-thank you, but I should-"

"You _should_ stay. Come, skate with me a bit."

"No really-"

Not taking no for an answer, Madeline felt her hand become enclosed my a large, cool one, and felt another on her waist. Suddenly he brought her along, not giving any opposition as they skated away from where she had to get back to. He let go of her for a moment, turning before her, but Madeline used that moment to turn and skate back.

Ivan wouldn't allow that. He moved forward, grabbing her hips and turned her with him, pulling back on her so she was sent back in the way he wanted to go. He grabbed her hand to bring Madeline along until he managed to press against her, hands now around her waist. He began to slow his skating, his lavender eyes staring deep into violet. Reaching up, he took out her loose pins, removing her hat so he could run his hands through her golden hair.

"Madeline..." hot breath was felt over her mouth as his drew closer.

The spell broken, Madeline wriggled in his hold until he let go. "I seriously have to go!"

"You're here with him, aren't you? What do you see in him? He's just an overgrown child living off of daddy's money."

"You're wrong!"

"Can't fend for himself, always sticking his nose in other peoples' business...can't keep with one thing for too long. He gets interested in something, has to have it, and then drops them after a while."

"How dare you, you son of a-"

Madeline tried to skate away, but Ivan shot out his hand to grab her wrist and stop her.

"I'm right and you know it. Why else does his father hate him? I'm sure he will bore of you eventually. He does for everyone. Like the attention span of a child, he will throw you away soon enough, if he hasn't started to already. I just don't want you to fall for the Jones Charm."

He moved forward but Madeline had enough. With a strong push and twist of her wrist, Madeline freed herself and skated away as fast as she could. His accented voice followed her, but it was indiscernible. She moved as fast as she could, getting back to the path in a matter of seconds. Alfred was there, about to step onto the ice as she stopped before him.

"Where were you? I was getting worried! I thought you- I though you fell or something!"

"I'm sorry, Al. I just...I lost track of time."

Alfred reached out and grabbed her hand, helping her back up to their car. She noticed him looking her over, which made her blush and pause. "Wh-what?"

"Where's your hat?"

Madeline's hand flew to her hair instantly, her eyes widening when she remembered just how easily Ivan took it from her. "I...I must've lost it! I guess I didn't secure it enough!" She laughed, trying to hurry along. Come on! I'm cold, let's go get something to drink."

The two made their way back to the car, not looking back to see a man slowly skate by- watching them leave with a smirk and holding a red hat to his lips.

* * *

><p>Standing alone in front of a display, Alfred pocketed his list and tilted his head. There were so many options to choose from...what should he pick? He had never taken this much time and consideration while purchasing condoms before.<p>

_'Flavours? Barely there? Ones with ridges? Glow in the dark looks like of cool! It would almost be like- focus! Ok, so...there's one with warming lubricant...? Oh god, I can't handle this. I'll just get them all, then she can choose..'_

Taking a few boxes in his hands, Alfred tried to go to the cash, as casually as possible, buy the five boxes of condoms. Unfortunately, his demeanour cracked when the elderly cashier smirked and raised a brow to him. He left the store red-faced.

Now all that was left was to set the mood at home. He had a few hours until Madeline returned home from work, so there was a lot of time. With a determined smirk, he rolled up his sleeves, pinned his hair back with one of her least feminine pins and set to work.

* * *

><p>Madeline couldn't help it. As she waited tables, she couldn't help but think of what Ivan said...of what he <em>did.<em> There's no way that Alfred was that fickle...at least about something serious like this...right? He may not have expanded that greatly on him and his father, but he did state that they have had a lifelong issue. That his father was too strict and a perfectionist... But what was she thinking? Of course she could trust him. He loved her, and she loved him. He wouldn't tire of her! But a nagging voice in the back of her mind whispered to her, asking why was her things still packed? Why did he pack up some of the things she took out?

The memories of Ivan's closeness, of how intimately he skated with her, how he _looked at her_ was slightly unnerving. But was more disturbing to her, was how she didn't fight him as much as she should have. Why didn't she tell Alfred either? Shaking her head, she focused on the rest of her shift.

As she walked up the steps to their apartment, Madeline took a moment to collect herself and walk inside. The apartment she walked into was quite different from the apartment she left. Everything was clean and put away, not a single dish was by the sink- even the windows looked clean! Setting her purse down by the table, she walked into the kitchen, the delicious scent of something cooking filling her senses. There was a pot on the oven, and something inside of it. She was just about to peek inside when arms moved around her, pulling her back against a strong chest.

"Tsk tsk, you wouldn't want to go and ruin the surprise, now would you?"

Looking over her shoulder, she covered his hands with hers. "What's all this about, Al?"

"You do the cooking so often, I wanted to even the ratio. Now, sit down on the couch, and I'll bring it out."

"But-"

"No buts! Get!"

Madeline chuckled as she was banished from the kitchen, choosing to listen to him and sit in wait. There was a movie on pause, the Notebook if she recognized correctly. Covering her mouth with her hand, she tried as hard as she could to stifle her laughter. Alfred was being so painfully obvious, it was adorable.

"The Notebook?" she called out.

He popped his head out, a barely veiled look of concern on his face. "Is uh, that okay with you? You like that move, right?"

Her smile and nod reassured him, making Alfred disappear once more. He returned shortly through with two glasses of water and their utensils. On his second round he returned with their food- two plates of fries, covered in gravy and cheese. Homemade poutine.

Madeline broke out into a fit of giggles as he placed them down. "Poutine? Oh Alfred, you shouldn't have!" Placing her hand on her chest, she spoke dramatically.

He grinned sheepishly, giving a dry laugh. "Yeah, yeah, just eat your food."

Which they did. Alfred a little faster than Madeline, while the two watched the movie in companionable silence. Soon after they finished, Madeline went to get a popsicle from the freezer, offering one to Alfred as she sat beside him. As she sucked on the ice, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. All these months, they just managed to get closer. There have been no signs of him losing interest, or hiding anything really...so why should she let this stranger rock her very foundation? No. She was not going to let Ivan ruin what she and Alfred had.

The further Madeline fell into thought, she didn't notice Alfred's attention shift on her, nor how her mouth worked on the treat. Having long finished his, Alfred openly watched how her lips closed over the tip, sucking slightly before breaking off a piece. When she neared the end of the stick, Alfred's patience finally snapped. Taking the stick from her hand, he finished her last bit.

"Hey...!"

Alfred silenced her with his mouth, crushing their cool, sweet lips together. He pushed her back against the couch, trailing his lips over her jaw and down the delicate skin of her throat. Hands pinning her shoulders against the couch, Alfred lowered himself against her, pressing his hips against hers. His lips were harsh and needy, desperate after waiting for her for so long. Madeline gasped from feeling his mouth open and suck on her neck, positive he was going to leave a mark.

Suddenly she was lifted off of the couch as abruptly as she was pinned down. Alfred connected their mouths once more, opening his to deepen the kiss as he brought them to their bedroom. Dropping her on the bed with a slight bounce, Alfred covered her body once more.

With a muffled giggle, Madeline turned away, her eyes sparkling up at him. "What, no rose petals? For shame."

"Oh, hush!" Alfred began to unbutton her work blouse, his warm fingers caressing her soft skin as it was exposed. Breathing roughly, he lifted her up a bit to completely remove her shirt. He was just running his hands over her chest when he felt her shaking.

"Maddie...don't worry. Trust me, everything is going to be okay..."

Madeline just nodded, closing her eyes and swallowing slightly as her hands moved up his chest, tugging at the fabric. Alfred took that as his cue and ripped off his shirt with much less care than he showed Madeline. Moving low, he moved his lips over the soft expanse of her chest, until he met the cup of her bra.

Looking up into her eyes, he slowly brought the straps down and off her arms with her assistance. But before he moved around to unhook it, and before she told him where it was, he noticed between the cups that it was fastened in the front. Akin to a present, he separated the cups and removed the fabric from the bed. Exposed to the cool air, and from his heated inspection, Madeline felt herself harden beneath him, as well as a throbbing sensation between her legs.

Pressing his lips against her once more, Alfred kissed her deeply for a few moments, his hands kneading and plucking at her hardened buds for a few moments before his moved lower. Kissing his way down until he took a tip in his mouth, he sucked hard on her. Looking up at her and her kiss roughened lips, his eyes glinted as his hands moved lower. Moving to her dress pants, he brought the zipper low and undid the button, running his fingertips over her skin as he brought them down.

Needing to move back to remove her pants fully, he let go of her with a pop, moved back on his knees and removed them slowly. Looking over her luscious body, his eyes nearly glowed with need along with a possessive glint. Palming his tenting pants, Alfred moved to remove the last two articles of clothing, exposing himself without any emphasis.

He heard a slight gasp from his love below him, making him look down in concern. Madeline was staring at him, biting on her lower lip in worry.

"Don't do that, baby. You're going to like it, I promise. Oh! And..." he reached over to the bedside table, opening the draw to expose all of the boxes. "Pick your poison! I didn't know what you wanted, so I bought a bunch! We could always turn off the lights and choose the glow in the dark one!" He wiggled his eyebrows down to her, making her burst out laughing.

"We are _not_ using that one! Let's just chose something simple for this time..."

"Will do!" Alfred grabbed one of the normal boxes, ripping it open to grab one of the packages. "Here, you can put it on me while I..."

Madeline was in the process of ripping open the packet when she felt fingers rub against her most intimate area. Moaning loudly, she stopped what she was doing to stare at him. Alfred just smiled at her, a soft, loving smile as he continued to rub. Madeline felt herself clenching internally, moments before his hands moved. With his middle finger, he circled around her opening twice before dipping inside. It was only one finger, but the feeling of her velvet-like walls tight around his finger caused him to groan.

"Oh god, Maddie. You're so tight..."

Thrusting a little faster, Alfred soon added another finger, wanting to stretch her a little more to ease her comfort. He didn't want to hurt her, and he knew that the first time was going to be a little uncomfortable. But he was slowly becoming more and more impatient- the need to be inside her was too strong. He wanted to pleasure her in other ways, to taste her intimately, or to feel her mouth on him, but that could be saved for another time. With a few more thrusts, he moved back and up towards her so she wouldn't have to reach far to get to him.

"Maddie...put it on me."

Lust clouded sky blue eyes stared down into equally clouded violet eyes but noticed a slight glint in their depths. He was not prepared for her to reach over, grasp his base, and give a tentative lick to the underside of his shaft.

"F-fuck! Mad...y-you don't have to!"

"But I want to..." she whispered, moving her hand along him, taking in his texture and weight. She moved forward, curiosity taking over as she took the head into her mouth, suckling softly. Encouraged by his breathy moans, Madeline took more into her mouth until she panicked and pulled off. She steeled herself and tried once more, taking less than before and just moving back and forth instead. Taking note from how he reacted and when, she focused most of her attention towards the tip- thankful for not having to take in that much. She was unprepared when Alfred reached down and pushed her against the bed, his panting, red face inches from hers.

"I can't...If you...I won't..."

Madeline just blinked up at him before handing him the condom and widening her legs. Alfred nearly snatched it from her, rolling it on quickly and positioned himself at her entrance. He began to nudge forward, beginning to breach her when her breathing tipped him off. Stretching over her body, he kept one hand below while he rested on his forearm beside her head.

"We'll go nice and slow. Here...Slowly..." As he said this he pushed in, gradually inserting the head. "Don't tense up, Maddie. Look at me- no, don't close your eyes. Look at me, baby."

Shaking slightly, she widened her legs even more as she slid one hand up his chest as the another rested on his back. The strong, fast beat of his heart was easily felt beneath his firm skin, and she could feel his muscles working on his back. Madeline looked at him reluctantly, but the love she saw in those blue eyes managed to calm her, making the rigidity in her body slowly ebb away.

"That's it. Now, a little more..."

There was a minor burning sensation the further he pushed in, and she felt incredibly full. Inhaling sharply and gritting her teeth, her mind couldn't focus- never before had she felt anything like this. Certainly she had experimented with herself, but it paled in comparison to this. She clenched around his length, making Alfred gasp out and shudder. Soon, after enough time had passed, he began to move, pulling out slowly before slamming back inside.

Madeline nearly screamed from the sensation, feeling him slam back into her, his skin slapping against hers. Alfred stopped for a moment to look at her.

"Maddie? Are you okay? Did that hurt?"

"N-no! Do that...again, _please_!"

With a breathless chuckle, Alfred slammed into her once more, ripping another moan from her throat. Alfred coaxed her along, beginning a slow and steady pace. Face inches away from hers, they began to kiss deeply, their wet muscles fighting for dominance. Minutes slipped by, and soon the need to go faster took over, making Alfred double his speed. They moaned into each other's mouth as Alfred moved his hands, grabbing hers and pinning their laced hands above her head. He tried to think of other things so he would not come too quickly, but the end was nearing quicker than he would have liked.

Wanting to help her along, he let go of one of her hands to reach between them, playing with her pleasure point to ensure her own climax. From the look on her face, he could tell that it was working. Thank god. He wanted her to at least come her first time, and if he couldn't bring to the orgasm from sex, he could by paying special attention to main parts of her body.

Madeline's breathing quickened, and Alfred could feel her convulsing around him. "Alfred...I'm going to..."

"Come on, Maddie...I want you to come before me."

He increased the speed of his fingers, showing her no mercy until she came, trembling against him, and tightening around him. The moment he heard her moan out his name, his climax hit him hard. Gasping against her mouth, he then groaned and slammed into her twice more.

The two now deliciously sated, they laid there, Alfred's face buried into her neck and Madeline looking to the ceiling, panting. Alfred didn't want to pull out anytime soon, so he didn't until he felt Madeline begin to shift beneath him. Tying it off and throwing it out, Madeline sat up gingerly, not knowing what to expect.

"You okay, Mad?"

"...Definitely."

* * *

><p>Adjusting the hem of her night shirt, Madeline stood in the archway of the living room. "Alfred...I have to talk to you."<p>

Snapping up from the television, Alfred looked over to her, stammering out a reply. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"I need you to tell me why exactly my things are still packed. Don't lie to me."

"...But-"

"Alfred!" Madeline said a little louder than usual. "I need to know!"

Alfred remained silent for a moment before turning off the television and getting up. "Fine. Get your coat on, it's cold tonight."

"Where are we going?"

"You want to know, don't you!"

"Yes..."

"Then come on."

The two of them put on their outside clothing before they left in Alfred's car with him driving. They drove for a while, driving into almost the heart of town, but down a residential road.

"Where are we going?"

Alfred was looking at the houses, trying to find something in the low lighting from the streetlights. "Should be around here...aha! That one!" He pointed to a simple yet lovely two storey house. It was a brick house with a bit of vinyl siding, a large picture window with a porch by the door. The house had a large garage, that fenced the backyard from entry. A large tree grew in the front with a flowerbed leading up to the porch steps.

"...what's this, Al?"

"You see that house there?"

"...yeah."

"That's why you're things are not unpacked yet."

Madeline looked at his barely visible face in confusion. "I don't get it."

"That's ours."

"O-ours?"

"Yup. I bought it just a little while ago. I _wanted_ to surprise you when everything was all finished...some things still need to be done, but-"

"That's _ours!_ Oh god, Alfred, it's beautiful!"

"Just wait until you see the backyard."

"But I just moved in...isn't that a bit of a pain?"

"I don't mind moving your things again, Maddie. That is, do you want to?"

"Of course I do, Alfred. I would love to."

He leaned towards her, smirking before whispering against her lips. "Then I shall pay them a little bit more to go a little faster."

The last thing she saw before Alfred kissed her was her dream house that suddenly manifested into the building before her.

* * *

><p>AN: Heelloooooooo mature rating now! 8D Hope this was enjoyable~!


	14. Chapter 14: Family

_April_

"Wait, Alfred, stop! You're going too far!"

A frustrated growl. "Madeline, we have been at this for twenty minutes! It's fine like this!"

Her violet eyes flashed up at him as her delicate hands balled into fists, "you're so impatient! Just let me do it!"

"No! I'm fine! Wa- stop, don't try to- _Madeline!_"

Not listening to him, Madeline squeezed her way onto the small stepladder beside him and leaned forward, adjusting the shelf up a bit more. Glaring at him over her shoulder she angrily whispered, "see? I told you! You went too far down! Now it's perfectly even! If you would just listen to me..."

With an angry huff, Alfred leaned forward and kissed her roughly before reaching for his hammer. "Yeah, yeah...I got it now, precious. How about you go look through the other rooms I worked on, tell me where I went wr- ow!"

Madeline smacked the back of his head before she stormed off of the ladder and out of the room, leaving Alfred to sigh and blearily continue putting up a shelf. Madeline wanted to add a bit of a personal touch to their home, so they spent the last few weeks putting things up, adding furniture, and even painting one of the spare rooms. After leaving Alfred, Madeline walked to one of the rooms and checked to see if the paint had finally dried. Luckily the strong smell of the paint was fading, helped along by the open window and door. The room was huge and well lit, with a large picture window on the far wall facing their backyard. Madeline chose the colour, a beautiful beige tone that the salesperson called "livingstone." Alfred had complained of course due to how bland he considered it to be, and pointed to all of the swatches he held in his hand. Madeline just shook her head with a small smile and replied, "you accent with the room with colour! Lighter colours make the room look bigger."

Adjusting the bandana that secured her unruly curls back, Madeline walked over to the picture window and sat down on the ledge, looking out into the backyard. She could remember the first time he showed her around the house, those few months ago:

* * *

><p>"Okay, so now that you've seen the main floor, upstairs, and the basement, I have saved the best for last!"<p>

Madeline giggled slightly from how excited Alfred was- nearly bouncing to the door as he held her hand. "Outside is the best part?"

"Of course! Now, close your eyes!" When Madeline arched a golden brow, Alfred pursed his lips and took her glasses off and hooked them over his shirt. To further secure his secret, he walked behind her, covering her eyes with his hands. "Fine, be difficult. Now, walk, woman!"

She elbowed him gently to which he laughed and guided her forward. Alfred moved one hand to quickly open the backdoor and Madeline could suddenly feel the sun beat down on her shoulders, and the cold air chill her. Pressing back against Alfred for warmth, she whispered if she could see yet.

Letting go, Alfred gave back her glasses and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he waited for her reaction. Due to the light difference, it took Madeline a minute to get accustomed, but when she put her glasses back on, she couldn't help but gasp quietly. Before her was a vast backyard, and even through the snow, which surprisingly wasn't much, she knew that it was perfect for gardening. There were many barren trees throughout, including a few bushes that were as tall as her. Towards the very back of the yard was a shed, perfect for housing all of her tools.

"Alfred..."

A hum was heard before he moved up to her ear. "I thought maybe you can start your own rose garden...or, maybe _we_ could?"

Madeline felt her chest tighten slightly, and she had to clear her throat before responding. Even then her voice cracked. "I would love to, Alfred. Thank you so much..."

* * *

><p>Smiling to herself and lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Alfred approach until his hands were on her shoulders. "You okay?"<p>

Her soft hand covered his calloused, bandaged hand. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry I snapped at you."

Alfred sat down on the ledge before her and took both of her hands. "No, don't be. It's okay...it can be a little stressful with home projects, and I'm sure I'm not helping matters. But it's fine... Hey, if I could survive the light fiasco, I can survive anything!"

"It wasn't even that bad!"

"You almost knocked me unconscious," Alfred looked at her over the top of his glasses.

Blushing from the memory, Madeline pulled back, crossed her arms and turned her face away. "How was I supposed to know you were that close to me?"

Choosing not to chase the topic any further, Alfred just scoffed and grabbed Madeline, throwing her over his shoulder. She did not react to this well and began to squirm, asking breathlessly, "wh-what are you doing?"

"It's a gorgeous day, and I have another surprise for you. You need to get properly dressed, you look like a paint can exploded on you." A swift slap to her proffered behind caused her to yelp loudly.

"You were the one that knocked the paint can over in the first place! And I can get there on my own, you brute! Let me go!"

And Alfred did, throwing her down on their bed before saluting and walking out, deftly missing a pillow aimed at his head.

"Has eyes on the back of his head..." Madeline mumbled as she looked over the bed sheets, making sure there wasn't any paint on the fabric. Satisfied, she moved to her closet to look for some non-paint stained clothes. Madeline was just grabbing a soft purple sweater when something cream coloured caught her eye. Kneeling down she opened the duffle-bag wider to expose her ice skates. Smiling from the memory of the last time she used them, she quickly pulled on her sweater and went to find some jeans.

* * *

><p><em>January.<em>

Luckily, Madeline discovered the that skating rink was not that busy, maybe a handful of people on the ice. Many stood around near the tables outside, enjoying a coffee or hot chocolate as they watched their loved one skate. Her day off, Madeline took the opportunity, while Alfred was working, to go skate for a bit. She had been there for about an hour, doing laps around the makeshift rink on the lake, when she felt like taking a break. Walking over to her table, Madeline sat down to remove her skates and looked around. She stopped when she saw a familiar head of blonde hair.

If one were to ask her what prompted her to do this, or where she found the nerves to, she wouldn't be able to answer. But she found herself moving quickly, removing her skates and putting on her boots just as fast so she could chase after the man. He seemed to be on a stroll, add on to the fact he couldn't move that quickly, so it was easy for her to catch up.

In her softer voice, she gently called out, "Mr. Kirkland?"

She watched as that head of greying blonde snapped up and turned around entirely to face her. His face was one of surprise, and to Madeline's pleasure, she could not see any anger or disgust.

"Madeline?"

He remembered her name. "Yes! I-um, I thought you went back to England?"

Arthur shuffled from one foot to the other, not really looking her in the eye just yet. _Is that a blush?_

"Aye, I was supposed to but...I had some business I had to deal with first. I should be leaving soon..."

He sounded so awkward, Madeline couldn't help but feel more resigned in her decision. Stepping forward, Madeline placed a hand gently on his shoulder. She felt him flinch as he looked to her in question. "I was wondering, did you want to skate with me for a bit? Maybe...maybe get to know one another? I would love to learn more about Alfred's father." Her heart was hammering in her chest, fearful of his reaction. Christmas ended so horribly, she had no idea how he would be with her, but Madeline couldn't leave the situation be. She could hear the pain in Alfred's voice when he spoke of his father, even when he tried to appear like he didn't care. And Arthur...she didn't know him very well, if at all, but she swore she could see kindness hidden deep in those cynical, emerald eyes. She just had to find out how to coax it out of him.

Arthur was taken aback from her suggestion. He thought for sure that he lost his chance with Alfred and his girlfriend from his short temper- the temper that has been his downfall his entire life. He didn't know what to think of this young chit, but looking into her unique violet eyes, all he could see was sincerity. Arthur couldn't believe the kindness she was showing him, especially how he treated her, before her own father..he felt another stab of guilt from the memory. So with a gruff sound, he murmured, "I don't have skates..."

Madeline perked up and gave him one of her brightest smiles, one that never failed to make Alfred smile. It seemed to run in the family, for Arthur's eyes softened and he gave her a small, half smile back. "They rent skates here too! Come, we can get you a pair!" Arthur nodded once and walked along side her.

Slowly they made their way to the ice, and Arthur stopped just before joining Madeline on the ice.

"What's the matter?"

Hiding his lower face a bit behind his short burgundy scarf, he quietly admitted, "I-I don't really know how to skate."

Instantly Madeline was upon him, holding onto his hands without any hesitation. "Here, hold onto my hands and I'll guide you onto the ice. Don't worry, I won't let go...That's it..."

Arthur shakily set one foot down before the other landed beside it, swaying slightly in the Canadian's grasp. "There...so far so good."

"Yes, you're doing great! Now, I'm going to start moving, okay?"

When Arthur nodded, Madeline did as well and started to skate backwards, pulling Arthur along with her.

"Wa-wait! I'm going to fall-"

"No you're not! You're fine, just keep your legs strong." Madeline slowed anyway, moving at a glacial pace so the man could get used to the feel. She had to smile from the sight; Arthur looked so vulnerable as he tried to stand upright. Nothing like the hard mask he always wore. And when he looked up to Madeline as his head was down, she was finally saw a look from the gentle man she knew was in there.

"So how do you like America, Arthur?"

Arthur looked as though he was about to say something, his eyebrows furrowing, but then something happened, as if it slowly started to melt away. "...It's nice here. I wouldn't mind visiting here more often...if..." his grip on her hands loosened marginally.

"If Alfred would have you?" she finished quietly, making it a question.

Expecting his signature scathing look, Madeline was once again surprised when she saw the hurt look in his eyes. "Aye, lass. If he would have me. But, it's too late for that now..."

Madeline moved slightly, straightening now that Arthur was looking more like a novice skater than a moose on wheels. Now they were moving along the ice much more smoothly, and Madeline took in a breath of cold air before levelling him with a serious look.

"Mr. Kirkland...it's not too late. But if you wait much longer, it might be. Now, I don't want to overstep my boundaries, but I know you want a relationship with your son. Who wouldn't? And...I feel that after what happened at Christmas," Madeline took note of his slight grimace at the mention, "you don't want that to happen again. I listen when Alfred talks about you...and yes, he is hurt, but there is still love in there. Deep down he loves his father, and wishes it would have been different between you two. He's confused and hurt, but if treated properly, wounds can heal. It will not happen in a day, but if you want to be with Alfred, one of you has to make the first step, and it might have to be you. Take time, think about it. Think about what happened in the past. I don't know what exactly transpired between you two, but it will take more than a simple, 'I'm sorry.' Arthur, if you continue to be how you are with Alfred...you're going to make him choose, and he won't choose you."

At first, Arthur wanted to push away from Madeline, yell, tell her that she knows not of what she speaks, but...that itself would be a lie. How did this girl manage to see through their situation? Through him? He had felt extremely guilty after what he started at Christmas, but he was too proud to say anything. Instead he spent his time in the house he bought here, and wallowed in self-loathing. First he pushed away his wife, and then his son, when all he wanted-

"You seem to know quite a bit, young lady..." Arthur cleared his throat and tightened his hold on her hands, regarding her with curious eyes. "But I know nothing of you. Come, tell me about yourself."

Madeline grew flustered, not knowing what to say. What _do_ you say when someone says something like that? Scrambling for a response, she said the first thing that came to mind, "I love roses."

In that moment, Arthur gave her one of the most sincere and pleased smiles she had ever seen. "Oh really?"

* * *

><p><em>April<em>

"So where is this surprise? We're going pretty far out of town..." Madeline looked around at the civilization that slowly faded away to that of farmland.

"I can't tell you if it's a surprise, now can I?"

"...Don't tell me you bought a farm."

"No, I didn't."

"Alfred."

"I didn't!"

"A cow?"

"No."

"Horse?"

"No! Dammit Maddie, just- we're almost there. See that house? Right there."

Madeline sat up straighter, trying to get any clues from the house up ahead. Unfortunately she could see nothing from the destination that gave her a hint as to what Alfred was doing. When they pulled up to the yard, they left the car when a sombre, yet kind looking Asian walked out from the back of his house.

"Ah! Alfred, how good to see you! I'm glad you could come."

"Kiku! Good to see you too, buddy!" Alfred shook his hand before gesturing to Madeline. "Here, this is my girlfriend, Madeline. Madeline, this is Kiku, a good friend of mine."

Madeline greeted the man shyly, giving a soft smile and a gentle handshake.

"So I take it you've come for-" Kiku was cut off when the sound of barking came from the backyard. "Come with me!"

Alfred was still grinning for some reason, and Madeline stared at both of the men in confusion until she saw what was in the back. There were at least five dogs, all playing in the sectioned part of land. '_Ahh, Kiku is a dog breeder,' _Madeline thought to herself as they entered the pen. There were two energetic dogs, running around and playing with a ball; a third was napping by the door; the fourth chewing a bone by the third, and then the last was sitting in the far corner, watching them as they entered.

Alfred was in his glory as the two energetic dogs ran over to him to play- which he readily accepted. As Alfred was distracted by the two, Kiku went to go check up on the one sleeping. Madeline was lost in thought as she was watching Alfred play with the two dogs, that she didn't notice the observant dog approach her until he sat before her. Startled, she stepped back and clutched a hand to her chest. It was a large dog, it's head a little higher than her navel and it was snow white.

"Hey there, boy. You okay?" The dog tilted it's head and regarded her with curious, dark eyes. He stepped forward and nuzzled her free hand, sniffling and licking it. Madeline calmed down after she realized he wasn't going to attack her, so she slowly dropped to her knees, not caring about the wet spot that was going to form on her jeans, and scratched behind his ears. Around his neck was a black collar with a silver disk at the end.

"Ku-ma...Kuma..ji-ro? Kumajiro?"

Kiku looked over to her at that moment. "That's Kumajiro! He's my German shepherd...kind of apathetic at times, but he can be quite loyal, and almost ferocious."

"Kumajiro, eh? How about Kuma?" Kumajiro just stared at Madeline before nudging her hand for more scratches. "You know what, Kuma? I think I like you."

Slightly out of breath, Alfred finally looked up from the two now tired dogs and saw Madeline's expression as she showered attention on the white dog. Smiling to himself, he pulled out his wallet and took Kiku aside.

Madeline spent the entire time talking to Kumajiro, about herself, the day- anything. She felt a growing attachment with this animal that stared at her so intently, that she couldn't draw herself away, no matter how cold and wet her knees were.

It was only when Alfred sauntered up to her, lips losing their battle to keep from smiling. "So you really like Kumajiro there, huh?"

"I do! He's really cute, and so big too! Aren't you, boy?" Madeline hugged the dog around his neck, nuzzling into his soft, surprisingly clean fur.

Mentally slapping himself for being jealous of a dog, Alfred crouched by Madeline, looking at Kumajiro. "What would you say...if I told you that I just bought Kuma?"

Madeline slowly drew back from the dog and turned towards Alfred's tender expression. "Wh-what?"

Brushing the hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear, Alfred whispered softly, "_surprise_."

* * *

><p><em>June<em>

"You still haven't told me what you wanted for your birthday."

Alfred looked up from his book for a moment, giving Madeline a stare before returning to his book. "You haven't told me what you wanted either, my dear."

Madeline narrowed her eyes at him and ran her hands over Kumajiro's back menacingly, which was lost due to the fact Alfred was pretending to read. With a sigh she looked out to the dark, streetlight lit road. It was so surprising when they found out that their birthdays were so close, that they felt they wanted to make it even more special. Alfred wanted a four day party, but as Madeline told him, "it would be a frosty day in Hell before that happened."

Instead, they were planning on two large parties with a bunch of their friends. The only problem was that Alfred didn't tell Madeline what he wanted, so out of spite, neither did she. It was hard enough for her to admit she wanted a necklace for their one year anniversary- Alfred liked to go by when they first met, and Madeline didn't mind that.

But there was something off about Alfred lately. He has been fidgety, restless, and somewhat absentminded and nervous. Even though she tried not to, in times like this Ivan's poisonous words surfaced. She knew they were false, words spoken by a jealous man about someone he hated, but she couldn't help it. Was Alfred getting over her?

"Alfred?"

It took him a second to look back up at her. "Yeah?"

"We can go window shopping tomorrow to see if anything catches my eye...?"

Closing the book and setting it down, Madeline missed the victorious smirk that crossed his face as he made his way towards her. "That's my girl. So!" He shooed Kumajiro away who left the room too easily.

"Hey...!"

Alfred pushed her down onto her back gently, stretching over her languidly as he chuckled, "you can pet me instead."

Her retort was cut off by a searing kiss.

* * *

><p>The day was a grey one, the clouds heavily saturated with rain just waiting to fall, and the town was painted in its dark shade but that didn't stop the young couple. Alfred held Madeline's hand, fingers laced as they walked along the downtown stretch, occasionally stopping into a store here and there. Madeline had managed to give Alfred a few gift ideas when they were in a china shop, specifically a few plates and vases. Alfred gave some clues as well, but Madeline couldn't focus on anything but how restless he was.<p>

"Are you okay?"

"Wh-yeah? Yeah, I'm fine...why?"

"Do you not want to do this or something?"

Alfred looked at her, surprised. "No! Everything's okay, Maddie. Trust me." He leaned down to plant a drawn-out kiss on her pouting lips.

With a nod, she accepted that and they continued on their way. They made a day of it- looking through a bunch of stores together, going to the park, even stopping for a sushi dinner before going home. They were holding hands in the car, still giggling from the memories they made- playing subtle hide and seek in a huge department store, scaring each other with masks in a costume shop, walking along the boardwalk, as well as taking pictures in a photo booth. Madeline smiled down at the pictures of them- there were four: one normal, one with huge goofy smiles, one of an innocent kiss, and then the last of Madeline holding her hand up to the camera as Alfred deepened the kiss.

Tucking the picture strip away with her free hand, she held onto Alfred's hand tighter as the music from his CD filtered through the car. Madeline was still surprised by how much Alfred loved the older music. Not only was Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra playing, but he was singing each word unfailingly. As the song progressed, Madeline found herself listening more to Alfred's voice instead, and marvelled over how nicely he sang. It wasn't professional of course, but it was nowhere near horrible.

By now it was raining, albeit lightly, but the soft sound of the drops hitting the car set the mood even further. It was one of those moments where everything just felt completely calm and relaxing. They arrived home sooner than she would have enjoyed, and Alfred offered to make them coffee while she slipped into her nightwear.

She was just slipping on her nightgown when she heard a muffled cough coming from downstairs. "You okay, Alfred?"

It took a second before he answered, "yeah! I'm fine...just something caught in my throat."

Madeline entered the kitchen, in the process of putting her hair up when she stopped and let it drop. Alfred was standing there, leaning against the counter with two cups beside him, looking very worried and chewing on his bottom lip.

"What's the matter? Al, are you okay?"

That made him snap his head up. "I'm fine! I just...I have something to tell you."

Madeline felt her heart drop. This was it. She _knew_ it. _She_ _should_ _have_ _known_...

"I love you, Madeline. You know I do. From the first moment I met you, you captivated me. You were a splash of colour in my otherwise grey life. Immediately I thought of white picket fences, of the sound of little feet padding across our floors in a drunken line..." Madeline stepped closer as he held out a hand for her, feeling her eyes begin that telltale sting. Alfred reached out and grabbed one of her hands, and looked down at her with, if it were possible, slightly damp eyes. He ran one hand through her hair as he whispered, "...I thought of waking up beside you, every day, watching the blonde fade away to grey...I never want to lose that image, Maddie."

Alfred let go, and handed her a cup, which was empty. As it transferred to her hand, she noticed there was a slight clinking sound coming from inside of it. She looked down, and Alfred stepped back from his spot against the counter. Inside of her cup was a small, delicate looking ring which she picked up as though it were a fragile piece of glass. It was a white gold ring with a round cut diamond in the center, surrounded by small delicate ones. The band was smaller, befitting her hand, but upon further inspection, she noticed there was engraving on it which read: _Amor Vincit Omnia._

Through tear filled eyes, Madeline saw Alfred watching her, a small smile on his own face as he stood beside what he was hiding. In one of their vases were two roses, red and white entwined. All she managed was a choked, happy sound before Alfred clarified.

"It means 'love conquers all.' I wanted to put 'may the force be with us,' or 'you're stuck with me now!' but I didn't think you'd like that," he laughed nervously.

Letting out a laugh that sounded more like a sob, Madeline watched as Alfred took the cup and set it down before taking the ring from her and placed it on her finger. It fit like a glove.

"You asked me what I wanted for my birthday...for my birthday, the best gift would be to have you as my wife. Will you marry me, Madeline Bonnefoy?" His confident voice was much more quiet, defenceless, and almost boyish from his nerves.

Madeline tried to keep her composure, but from her quivering lips to her overflowing tears, she lost that battle. She pressed her face against his chest and felt his arms wrap around her, one at her lower back while the other was cradling her head. Muffled against his shirt, glasses smudged and askew, Madeline happily sobbed out a litany of 'yes' until Alfred pulled her back, took off her glasses and kissed her.

They remained this way long passed the point of breathlessness. Alfred moved up and kissed her forehead before stepping away to clean her glasses. "Oh, and your father will be here in a few days."

"What?"

"Yes! I have to ask for my fiancé's hand properly, don't I?" A wink. "So don't call him! Not until I ask him." He somewhat awkwardly placed her glasses back on her face, sticking out his tongue in concentration.

Madeline nodded, looking down at her ring once more with a blissful expression. Alfred felt a surge of pride from picking a ring she actually liked. He had spent an hour in that damn jewellery store, looking over the vast amount of rings. There were some that could have passed as rocks, and then some that were too plain. His Madeline was simple, and he knew she wouldn't want an ostentatious ring, but he didn't want to get her something too simple. He was sorely tempted to ask for help, but his pride wouldn't allow it. He didn't want someone else to pick out his wife's ring, _he_ wanted to be the one. Smiling down to her, he kissed her on the cheek and regarded her with a serious glint to his eyes. "Maddie, I tell you right now, I will never be like my father. I'll be a better husband and father than he ever was."

Madeline looked down sadly for a moment before looking back up into his sky blue eyes. "Al...I know he has hurt you...and I know you haven't told me everything, but he's your father. You may not see it, but he cares deeply for you. I know it hurts, but...just keep your mind open. Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. If you just make the effort. You are both proud men, so unless one of you tries to breach the issue...nothing will ever happen. It's in your hands, Alfred. Don't make your story an unhappy ending."

Madeline kissed him softly before giving a pointed look to the phone and moving to the living room. Left in the kitchen alone, Alfred nodded slowly, his lips formed in a thin, tight line. As though he was moving through sand, he made his way down the hall to his computer room and picked up the phone, dialling an old, dusted number he still knew by heart.

It rang once. Twice. Four times.

"'lo?"

"..."

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Alfred! I-is everything okay?"

"...I just wanted to tell you something."

Arthur cleared his throat, and leaned heavily against the bedside table, closing his eyes and preparing for the worst. "What is it?"

"...I'm getting married. I proposed to Madeline, the girl you saw at Christmas, and she said yes." Alfred could feel his heartbeat in his ears, the blood was rushing to his head.

Arthur felt the same, felt his heart beat even faster and his breathing quicken. "Truly? A-Alfred...I'm very happy for you... Congratulations."

Alfred cleared his throat, holding his phone a little further down as he looked up, trying to will the tears to stay in his eyes. Voice now roughened, he kept his eyes closed as he brought the phone back up. "Y-yeah? Thanks. We, um, we don't know the date just yet...I just-just asked her, so-"

"You just asked her?"

"Yeah...I wanted to let you know. So, uh...we'll keep you informed as to the date, yeah? If you wanted to come that is-"

"Of course I do!"

Alfred was taken aback from his father's exclamation. He couldn't recall the last time his father sounded so passionate about something that wasn't failure related. This was so confusing. "O-okay...Awesome...yeah. So, I'll let you go back to bed..."

"Okay...thank you for calling me. Do...do keep in touch."

"Yeah. Bye, dad."

"Goodbye, Alfred."

Alfred clicked his portable phone off and threw it away from him, taking his glasses off and wiping his eyes roughly out of frustration.

Across the ocean, Arthur wrapped himself in his robe and walked over to his dresser, unerringly finding what he was looking for before turning on the lamp. Picking up the wooden frame, he ran his fingers over the haphazardly glued on seashells as he looked at the two smiling faces in the picture. The two who hugged each other so tightly that they seemed inseparable. Blue and green eyes full of happiness and love.

"I'm _so proud of you_, my boy."

* * *

><p>_<br>A/N: Red and white entwined: "Marry me," unity.

Woah, I didn't mean for such a delay! I hope you found this chapter enjoyable! Until next time! \^o^/


	15. Chapter 15: The Past

Squirming in the passenger seat, Madeline looked down to her barren hand forlornly. Her father sat behind her in the car, and so to continue with the surprise, it was mandatory that she keep the ring hidden. Francis was chattering on happily, discussing his trip over and of the 'lovely people' he had encountered during the time in between. He was also very happy that he was able to see his daughter for her birthday, as well as Alfred's. They all joked on how it should be an American and Canadian themed party, seeing as they so happened to coincide with their nation's holiday, to which they both seemed open to.

It wasn't until they entered their home after visiting the hotel did Francis change. Alfred and Madeline were standing close together in the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones as they were getting supper ready when they heard Francis clear his throat. Turning, they saw him, arms crossed and leaning against the doorframe. His eyebrows were drawn together, jaw tight and his eyes stern. "So, what is this really about?"

"About?" Madeline squeaked, stepping back and looking to Alfred. Hey, this was his idea, and she has seen that look on her father's face before.

Madeline saw his eyes widen for a moment before he uncrossed his arms, stepped forward, covered his mouth and looked to her stomach. "Oh _mon dieu_, you're _pregnant_."

Instantly Madeline began waving her arms in front of her in a frantic pacifying way, her face completely red and her vocal chords failing. Even Alfred turned red as well, playing with the frames of his glasses as he moved forward, the two talking over each other.

"No, no, no! Don't-"

"No. There's no way. That's not why we called you, er- why I called you."

Francis visibly relaxed and levelled Alfred with a curious look. Back was the suave fifty-six year old who could charm anyone into thinking he wasn't a day over forty-five. "Oh, well thank heavens. I don't think I would have been ready for that just yet."

Alfred laughed nervously as he turned to set some of the plates out. "Did you, ah, want something to drink?"

"Madeline. Tell me what's going on," Francis spoke in French to her, now using his sweet, coaxing voice that always got Madeline to fess up.

"Papa, I...Alfred! Tell him why we called. I'll be right back," she whispered as she fled from the room.

Feeling really warm all of a sudden, Alfred looked back to Francis, feeling those serene, intimidating blue eyes bore into him as he walked closer. "Well...sir...I did call you for a specific reason- more than just for her birthday. I was wondering if..." Alfred watched as Madeline returned, her hands clasped behind her back as she stood beside him once more. "...if I could ask for Madeline's hand in marriage."

It started with a twitch of his eyebrows, then progressed to a smoothing of his face. His lips drew back to expose perfect white teeth, and his eyes lit up. His hand lifted to partially cover his mouth, not really hiding his smile or his small, greying beard. Then came a small laugh, and a slight wet shine to his eyes before both of his hands reached out to grasp Alfred's shoulders. "That, my son, is a wish I shall most certainly grant." He pulled Alfred into a hug, smacking his back once before letting go and turning to his daughter. "Well?"

Madeline tearfully looked up at her father and extended her left arm before her, exposing the dazzling engagement ring. Francis whistled lowly and inspected the ring for only a moment, the need to hug his daughter too strong. Holding her against his chest, he ran his fingers through her hair, speaking to her a mile a minute in their language.

Alfred stood back, admiring his fiancé and his soon to be father-in-law, but the smile on his face soon fell. Looking at the happy pair, watching a father so overcome with joy for his daughter as she happily cried into his chest made Alfred feel like an outsider. It was in moments like these that he missed what he used to have. He missed his mother dreadfully; missed the smell of her perfume lingering in the room, and the warm hugs he used to come home to. He wished she was still around so he could tell her the news, and to hear her say, "I'm so proud of you." A painful stab was felt in his chest when he thought about his phone call a few nights ago. _Arthur_. Oddly enough, he seemed happy for Alfred, which Alfred had not heard in longer than he could remember. For a moment, Alfred was back in the past, thinking about all the good times that they once shared. He could remember Arthur's visits, and how happy he was when he heard that accented voice, when he saw that head of messy blonde hair.

Just as the warm feeling began to bloom, the cold, poisonous thoughts seeped into his mind once more, sending a bitter frost that made Alfred scoff to himself. Yes, the father who was barely there for any special occasions. The father who made him sit by his bedroom window, wishing to God, to the stars, to anyone that he would return and live with them. His mother spoke once of the business Arthur ran back in England, and how it was important that he remained there so it could thrive. When he asked his mother why they didn't move there, especially since Arthur wanted them so badly, she only shook her head sadly and stated that it was better for them to live here. Little did he know that to his mother, it was no different if they lived in England or the States, for Arthur was rarely home. She cared for him deeply, but he was a businessman and he played the role perfectly. Sure, he bought her plenty of trinkets after his long absences, but as she told him, he cannot buy love.

Arthur was there after she passed away and cared for Alfred. Stronger hugs replaced the soft, warm ones, but they were no less valued. But Alfred saw a slightly different Arthur then what he knew. When he once used to lift Alfred into his arms, kiss his cheeks and buy him something for getting an A on a test, he now demanded that Alfred concentrate on not being so frivolous and start making money; on establishing a plan so that he wouldn't end up in the poor house. He wouldn't stand failure in any sense, and before Alfred even joined the army, Arthur put him through rigorous training, yelling that he would never make it unless he shaped up and abandoned his many vices, such as McDonald's. Arthur and Alfred fought like cats and dogs, never agreeing on anything, arguing most of the time. It usually resulted in Alfred walking away and locking himself into his room, pouring over his financial planning. Again, little did Alfred know, but this was Arthur's way of ensuring the success of his only son. He saw the future in his son's eyes, and he wanted him to grow into a strong man with equally strong values. He wanted to shape him into being a better man, with a good job and life, who might even take over the business if he wanted. He was only tough because he felt that he had to be- so Alfred could learn his lessons. As much as he loved his son, Alfred was a little thick-headed at times, especially when he was younger. So when he was accepted to the army, Arthur had planned for a small celebration for all his hard work, and was crushed when all he received was a letter indicating Alfred had already left. Hurt and angry, Arthur packed up back for England and didn't talk to Alfred other than his monthly check ups.

Alfred leaned against the counter, lost in the past and feeling utterly lost and bitter towards his father. He hated the fact he was never around, and found himself yearning for the connection that they used to have. When he told Arthur of his engagement, he heard his father once more, the man that he looked up to and admired so deeply. The man he used to hold onto so desperately; the man he used to wave off to at the airport. The man he used to stare up at as he towered over him, each wearing a heartfelt smile. He was assaulted once more of memories of the past, remembering their adventures. Of their fishing trips, of their hikes in the woods. Of how he used to whisper him, "when I grow up, I want to be just like you."Of how Arthur's voice sounded when he looked down at him and said, "I love you."

"Alfred?"

Snapping out of his rollercoaster reverie, Alfred looked over to the pair who had now untangled and were staring at him with a slight smile. He didn't realize, nor did they mention the fact he had tears running down his face, but instead Madeline stepped back as Francis held out a hand. Confused, Alfred looked down to his hand before looking into the man's eyes. Francis chose to step forward instead and this time, hugged Alfred closely and gently, a tender hand running through his hair at the back of his head. "I'm quite proud to call you my son in law, Alfred."

Madeline watched Alfred's hands shake for a moment before they reached up to cover Francis' back, soon grabbing the fabric tightly as his shoulders shook. She took this as her cue to set the dining room, leaving them to have privacy. When she returned, Alfred was laughing sheepishly, dabbing at his eyes with a cloth Francis had given him. Francis noticed Madeline's return and turned to her.

"Looks like we shall be having celebratory wine with our supper! Where do you keep it?"

She told him where it was, not paying attention as her father left seeing as she was moving towards Alfred. Cupping his cheek, she looked into his crystalline eyes. "You okay?"

Alfred laughed, but it sounded fake even to his ears. "Of course! Sorry about that, I don't know what came over me! Your dad is just one great hugger I guess! Now I'm starved, let's eat!"

Madeline wanted to continue on the subject, but she also didn't want Alfred to go back to that state of mind now that he was calming down. There was a better time and place for that. She dropped her hand and whispered, "I love you, Alfred."

The look of admiration on Alfred's face took her breath away, but not as much as the passion in his voice as he whispered to her, "I will always love you, Madeline," as his hands gripped hers securely.

Francis waltzed back in with a bottle of red wine, speaking loudly before he turned the corner so that the couple could break apart before he happened upon them.

* * *

><p>Madeline sat on the ledge of the picture window, her knees pressed together and bent so that she could rest her pad of paper against them. Alfred was out doing errands and Francis was out for the day, so Madeline decided to make wedding plans. Alfred and her planned on a wedding this year, preferably before the cold weather hit. They discussed a wedding for October, when all the leaves were changing colours- it would be beautiful. Besides, if they wanted any specific decorations, they can be purchased. She even bought a day planner for her ideas, and to schedule when she had appointments and outings. Erzsébet was going to be her maid of honour, and Maria was going to play a crucial role- seeing as she had been married once before. They announced their engagement at their birthdays, causing a roar from their group of friends. Erzsébet had been so excited for her, she nearly deafened Madeline with her scream. Yekaterina and Maria were much more calm, but she discovered that Maria is capable of extremely strong hugs. Alfred was tackled by Gilbert, and Mathias teased him for being the first of their group to tie the knot.<p>

Now she was left to make plans as to what she was going to wear, who was going to come, and where. They considered a wedding in the church, but due to the fact they were not committed to a specific church, nor did they practice their faith that often, they ruled that out quickly. Madeline wrote down a few names for those attending- only close friends and family. Those included: Alfred and herself, Francis and Arthur, Erzsébet and Gilbert, Maria and Berwald, and then Mathias and his girlfriend Liv. They considered adding Ludwig and his boyfriend Feliciano, as well as Antonio and his significant other, but they had to check. Too many people might be more than they could afford. Madeline was surprised that Erzsébet and Gilbert became a couple, almost as much as Alfred was surprised Mathias hooked up with a girl he met at the bar.

Kumajiro's bark made her lose concentration before a hard knock was heard on the door. Setting aside her notepad, Madeline walked over to the front door and opened it, revealing practically six feet of smug, Russian male.

"Hello, Madeline."

Madeline wrapped her robe around her a little tighter, glaring up at the towering man. "What do you want."

"Now, now, little one. There's no need to be rude, I'm just looking for Alfred...the two of us planned to talk today."

"O-oh..." Madeline blushed slightly and looked around him to the bright day outside. "He's not here, he said he had to go out and run some errands. Maybe you misunderstood and he planned for you to meet him somewhere?"

Ivan hummed and looked down to her with a thoughtful smile. "No, he told me to come here. Ah, what a shame, to come all this way for nothing..."

"Well he should be here soon...did you want to come in and wait?"

"I'd love to," Ivan murmured and stepped in, hiding his smirk beneath the lighter, chic square scarf he wore over a short blazer.

Madeline shut the door and looked to him, "did you want something to drink?" When Ivan declined the offer, she motioned him to join her in the living room. Kumajiro watched Ivan the entire time and sat by Madeline's feet as she sat on the couch with the Russian before her on a chair.

"So I hear you two are getting married," Ivan looked to her hand and Madeline could have swore that half smile was more of a sneer. "Congratulations."

"Thank you. H-how are you and, um..."

"Daiva, and we're good, thank you."

Madeline nodded and smiled, feeling extremely awkward with this man. Alfred had told her very little about him, and she only knew of his girlfriend by Maria, who knew the Lithuanian woman through her friend Eduard.

"Alfred told you about Daiva, did he?" When Madeline shook her head, Ivan smirked. "I'm not surprised. You mustn't have had the talk then. Of course he would keep it from you."

"What are you talking about?"

Ivan paused for a moment, regarding her, before he laced his fingers together before him. "What do you know of Daiva?"

"Just that she is your girlfriend..."

"Not that Alfred stole her away from me in the beginning?"

That made Madeline freeze and study Ivan carefully. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Daiva and I were a couple, long before Alfred came into the picture. But when he came here, all charm and false pretences, he convinced Daiva to leave me for him." He waved his hand breezily, "I got her back of course, but the fact still remains that Alfred is a manipulator. And that's just one of his many girlfriends. I've heard the stories of when he was in the army. Of all the girls he would meet, use, and throw away. There were many, but the main ones for him that lasted were Daiva, Alice, and Mercedez."

Madeline cleared her throat, and tried to calm her breathing. Alfred had never once mentioned any of his old girlfriends to her, and Madeline couldn't help but want to know more. "And what happened to them?"

Ivan smirked once more. "Alfred can be quite cruel when he wants to be. After a verbally abusive relationship with Alice, he broke off with her claiming she was too much like his father. Mercedez on the other hand...that was even worse. They dated the longest apparently, and they were physically violent towards each other." Ivan chuckled quietly to himself and leaned forward. "Mercedez is a little spitfire he met in Mexico. He took her virginity and then left her after he promised her marriage."

Madeline felt her heart beating in a painful pace, her lungs labouring slightly, and she gnawed at her lower lip roughly as she processed the information. This can't be true, this is just more of Ivan's lies! Madeline steeled her eyes and looked up to the man.

"You know what? Alfred might've went to Gilbert's. You should check there."

Ivan laughed and sat at the end of his chair, looking to Madeline with a malicious expression. "Now why would I do that? You see, it's much more fun to be with you, Madeline. Also, I have to return Alfred the favour."

"Favour?" Madeline was cut off slightly as Kumajiro stood suddenly, growling low as he moved in front of her. He stood over her legs, looking at Ivan and baring his teeth.

Ivan looked to the dog with a small smile. "Cute dog. But yes, favour. As I told you, Alfred stole Daiva from me, so it's only fair..."

When Ivan stood, Kumajiro began to snarl much louder and more of his teeth were exposed before he barked twice. He made to move towards Ivan, but Ivan surprisingly backed up with a wary look.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Madeline glared up to him.

Ivan perked up slightly, looked to the side with a sly grin before nodding. "Yes, yes I do believe I should. Goodbye, Madeline. It's unfortunate that you will not accept my offer."

Madeline stood and followed Ivan to the door, but it opened before Ivan was close. Alfred stood there, shocked, with arms full of groceries. "What are _you_ doing here?"

As Ivan turned back to Madeline with a leering smile and taking in her shocked face, he reached into his pocket and removed a small red hat. "Oh? I came to give Maddie back her hat, that's all." He winked to Madeline, making sure that Alfred saw and walked out, calling back with a wave of his fingers, "until next time, _moya dorogaya_!"

Alfred shut the door behind Ivan with his foot and slowly turned back to Madeline. He took in Kumajiro's snarling face, her red face and swollen lips, feeling his heart drop. "Maddie...?"

"Alfred...let me explain."

Alfred took the groceries into the kitchen, brushing by Madeline as he passed. Madeline followed and watched him angrily put away the items as Kumajiro padded away deep into the house. "It's not what it looks like. He told me he was looking for you! And that you told him to meet you here!"

"So you decided to make out with him as you waited?" Alfred asked quietly, but Madeline could hear the barely restrained anger.

"What! No! Why would you think that-"

Alfred slammed the cupboard shut and turned around to face her, his fury evident on his face. "Your lips are swollen! And why the fuck did he have your hat! ?"

Madeline tilted her head for a moment, slightly taken aback by his outburst. "My lips? Oh God, Alfred you know I bite my lips when I'm nervous! And my hat..."

Alfred crossed his arms and glared at her over the counter as he waited. "Okay well, you know that time we went skating? Around Christmas? I saw Ivan there, but I didn't tell you because he said a few things that I didn't want to think about!"

"Like _what_, Madeline?"

"That you will bore of me! That you rely on your father's money!"

Alfred grit his teeth, "what a bunch of bullshit. But that doesn't explain your hat."

"He tried to detain me by getting me to skate! It fell off when he twirled me around!"

"_Really_."

Madeline felt her own anger begin to rise, fed up with being sick with worry. "Yes! And I could very well ask you about Daiva, Alice, and especially about Mercedez!"

Alfred's face was full of anger along with confusion. "Who told you about them? And who's-"

"Aha, so Ivan was telling the truth?"

Alfred sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to tell you about them, because A: it has nothing to do with the present, and B: they are insignificant," he punctuated each point by lifting a finger.

"Well apparently those three among the many you had were significant."

"Fine. You want to talk about the girlfriends I've had? Fine." Alfred slammed the last item away, turning his full attention to her. "I know Ivan has told you I apparently stole Daiva from him, for he's accused me to my face of that, but I didn't. It's not my fault she wanted to leave him! He was a selfish prick who demanded too much from her!" Alfred took a deep breath and rested his hand against the table, shaking his head. "And then she ended up going back to him. As for Alice...she was just an intermission- a bit of fun. She was a sweet girl, but had a sharp mood swing. She didn't last long, and I had to end it. And Mercedez..." He lifted his hands in the air, at a loss for words. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

Madeline shook her head turning on her heel and walking towards the hall. "_Really_? Like I'm supposed to believe that Ivan just made her up? How you used and abused them-"

She was cut off when Alfred suddenly grabbed her, turned her around and he lifted her into the air to press against the wall. Alfred pushed against her so one hand could wrap her leg around him. Opening her eyes, all that filled Madeline's vision was one pissed off American; his blue eyes darkened with rage. "I do not want to hear his name escape your lips from this moment on, do you understand me? And yes, I expect you to fucking believe me, because I love you. I love you, not anyone else Madeline. You know I would never do anything like that, that of all the time we've known each other I wouldn't so much as hurt a hair on your head, so I deserve a little fucking_ respect and trust!"_

His fingers raked through her hair, and Madeline felt Alfred tighten his hold before he closed the distance between them. As he deepened the kiss and made it rougher, all Madeline could do was hold on for dear life and struggle to breathe around the all encompassing assault on her mouth. One hard roll of his hips against her took her breath away and made her gasp into his mouth.

He chuckled harshly against her, biting her bottom lip before using one hand to support her, and the other to try and pull her sweatpants down, but not before he tugged her robe down her arms and grabbed roughly at one of her breasts. Madeline helped as much as she could, setting one foot down on the ground to try and get them off completely. After a bit of fumbling, they finally managed to free her of the garment before Alfred unzipped his pants and stepped out of them. Too caught up in the moment, neither Alfred nor Madeline thought of protection at this point, only raw, angry, animalistic need. Madeline moaned as she felt Alfred's hot organ press against her intimately, slipping slightly as he tried to align himself. Alfred was attacking her neck with harsh bites and sucks, marking her creamy skin as he slowly pushed inside. The feeling of her silky walls squeezing around him made him cry out quietly against her and stop, savouring the sensation.

Grasping her hips tightly, Alfred began to move, thrusting into her hard and making Madeline slide up and down the wall. Growling deeply, he looked up at her over his glasses and told her, "you're mine, Maddie. I trust you to never go with anyone else, so trust that I will never leave you. No one can make you feel as good as I do, and you know this, right?"

With a particularly rough thrust, Madeline arched her back and cried out loudly, holding onto his shoulders as if she would break apart otherwise. Catching her breath, she looked down, narrowing her eyes as she took a fistful of Alfred's hair, making him hiss. "Yes, I know this, but you know that you would be lost without me. You're mine just as much as I'm yours, Al, and no one can get you to this point like me. Not any of those whores you had before me."

Alfred's eyes widened for a second before he moved forward and attacked her lips, snarling against her, "and you will never think of those fucking bastards again, or anything that has been said after I'm done with you. Hell, you won't remember your own name, baby."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, _darling_."

Alfred accepted her challenge, and completed it quite easily.

When they finished, Alfred carried her to the bedroom, not removing himself from her until he had to. He stretched out on his back and Madeline nestled her head on his shoulder, one leg over his and a hand on his chest. She ran her finger over Alfred's skin, making various patterns before she asked quietly, "so you never dated a girl by that name?"

As he shook his head, Madeline leaned up and searched the depths of his baby blue eyes, looking for any sense of deception, but she found none. The man she watched with her father, the one with so many emotions that he readily expressed, and who never once in their year together made her feel uneasy couldn't be what Ivan told her of. Madeline thought of Ivan's motives, and that finally made the noxious poison dissipate from her mind. He was hurt that Daiva left him, so he was out to 'return the favour,' by any means. Smoothing out her expression, she placed her hand over his heart, feeling his steady heartbeat.

"I believe you. ...Do you believe me when I said there was nothing between Ivan and I?"

Alfred looked over her face, studying her for a few heartbeats. He reached his hand up and combed through her hair to grab the base of her head, bringing her towards him. As she leaned down, Madeline's eyelids grew heavy, and she looked to his mouth as she approached. Just as their lips brushed against one another Alfred whispered, "of course I do."

"No more secrets?" Madeline breathed against him.

"No more secrets," he confirmed before sealing their tender kiss.

* * *

><p>"These little cakes are so good!" Madeline gushed as she sat across from her father in a little cafe. They chose to go out looking for dresses, and stopped to have some lunch first. Madeline trusted Francis the most, seeing as had a great fashion sense and helped her through her teen years. She was going to include Erzsébet and Maria, but unfortunately they were busy- not that she minded that much. She enjoyed having her father-daughter outings. Alfred wanted to come, but she refused adamantly. The groom couldn't see the bride's dress before the wedding!<p>

Francis poked at his small raspberry cake with his fork, lifting a shoulder. "Indeed they are, but not as good as mine, of course." Madeline giggled and agreed, for she always loved her father's baking. "You know...Madeline, I could always make you your wedding cake."

Madeline looked to him surprised. "No way! I couldn't ask you to do that, papa."

"You can do catering if you have to, but it would be no problem for me to make your wedding cake. Just think of the money you two will save- something that Alfred will surely be pleased over."

She nodded, remembering how Alfred spoke of a smaller wedding, and went over their budget together. It would be best financially, and at least she would know it would taste good... "Okay, papa. If you want to, I would love for you to make the cake for us. Thank you."

Francis took Madeline's hand in his and squeezed gently, "not a problem, my sweet. Now, are you finished? We still have more dresses to look at."

The two paid and left the cafe, choosing to go visit a well known store this time. They had seen two other stores, but nothing really caught her eye. Francis and Madeline had discussed what kind of dress they thought would be best, and decided she would look beautiful in a full skirt. The neckline should be a sweetheart, and preferably boned, so they were on the lookout.

Madeline was blown away by all of the gorgeous dresses she saw in the bridal store her father took her to. They snagged a consultant who, with her father, saddled Madeline with at least ten dresses to try on. When she was on the eighth dress, she felt like something clicked. It was a gorgeous dress, complete with the sweetheart neckline, boned bodice that was corseted, tightly fitted waist, and full skirt. The woman helped explain to them different parts of the dress, from its pleats, chapel length train, Basque waist, to its taffeta criss-crossed pleating on the bodice and the Diamante beading at the neckline. It was perfect.

"Oh Madeline. That's gorgeous on you..."Francis whispered to her in awe. She looked so radiant, she was practically glowing.

"Y-you think so?" Madeline blushed and looked from her father to the woman, both who nodded slowly, a serious look on their faces. "Maybe...we could put it aside? Check a few more places just in case?"

The woman agreed, and the two left the store, but it wasn't long before they returned.

* * *

><p>Waiting the appropriate amount of time, Alfred slipped on a pair of shades before venturing out, trying to guess where Madeline went. He had already prepared an excuse if he was caught too, "what are you talking about? Of course I'm not following you to see what you look like in a wedding dress, I just happened to come across you!" or "I got lost and forgot where Wal-Mart was."<p>

To kill time, and to keep up with his story, Alfred did stop by the mall first. He was walking by one of the higher end clothing stores, looking inside just in case Madeline was in there when he felt his phone vibrate before Ring of Fire blared from his coat pocket. Fumbling slightly, Alfred answered the call, all while staring at the store as he walked by. "Hello?"

"Hello, Alfred."

"...Dad? What's wrong?"

"I was wondering something..."

"What's that?" Alfred frowned slightly, not knowing where this was going.

"Well, actually I'm thinking this question is better suited face to face. Tell me, where are you?"

"U-uh...the mall?"

"Good, I thought you might be. I'm at the entrance by Wal-Mart."

Alfred snapped his phone shut after hearing the dead line and broke off into a sprint towards the doors, not caring for the looks he was receiving. Recognizing Arthur's car, Alfred now walked towards it, slipping inside slowly.

"Hello, Alfred."

"Dad...what are you doing here."

Arthur's hands squeezed the wheel reflexively, waiting for a moment before driving away.

"You'll have to drop me back off here, my car is still here..."

"I know. And...I wanted to stop by and see how the wedding is going along..."

"Madeline spoke of October, but I kind of want it a little sooner. I just never said anything to her, of course."

"I thought you might." Arthur drove to a secluded part of the large parking lot, turned off the car and turned to look Alfred in the face. "Alfred, I thought of something after you called me. Madeline is from Canada, correct?"

"Yes..." Alfred answered slowly. He was both pleased that his father remembered the detail, but very wary as to what he wanted.

"I was looking into it, and..." Arthur chewed on his lip for a moment before he grew impatient with himself and just blurted it out. "I was thinking that maybe it would be nice if you two had an earlier wedding and went to Ottawa to be married. I did some research, and there's this place called the Château Laurier, a beautiful hotel that would be perfect to stay at, and have your reception. You can have a civil servant come in, and just think of the wedding pictures right by the Rideau-"

Alfred held up a hand, eyes wide in astonishment. "Yeah, that sounds great dad, but...how much money must that cost? That'd be a fortune! I was thinking of going to Canada for a bit for our honeymoon but I can't afford that."

"I wasn't implying that you would be the one paying."

"...What are you saying."

Arthur fidgeted once more, looking aimlessly around the interior of the car before he willed his eyes back to his son's. "I want to pay for your wedding. In full."

* * *

><p>-<br>**A/N:** moya dorogaya= my dear.  
>Liv = Fem!Norway<br>Daiva= Fem!Lithuania  
>Alice= Fem!England<p> 


	16. Chapter 16: The Wedding

_Late August _

Walking through the streets, Madeline took in a deep breath and sighed out happily. After all this time, finally she was back in Canada. She nearly skipped down the streets, hand clutching Alfred's tightly as she pointed to various buildings in excitement. As though she were a charging battery, the longer she stood on Canadian soil, the more she could feel her body teeming with energy and life. Even Alfred commented on how bright and happy her expression was.

When he told her of Arthur's offer, Madeline almost dropped the plate she was drying if Alfred wasn't standing close enough to catch it.

"_He wants to what?"_

"_Yup! We're going to Canada, baby, so get packin'!" _

_With trembling hands she touched Alfred's face and searched his eyes, not wanting to get her hopes up just yet. "Is this what you want, Al?"_

"_Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"_

"_Well…With your relationship with your father…"_

_Alfred covered her hands with his and held them, eyes turning soft yet serious. "Forever thinking of others. Maddie, I want you do have your dream wedding, and if my father is taking the steps to try and get in my favours…I should listen to you and give him the chance. Right? And he was so adamant about it as well, I couldn't even tell him no if I wanted to."_

_The coil that had been building inside of her broke in that moment and Madeline pressed against him, yelling out and giggling in pleasure. _

And now they were in Ottawa, wandering around her nation's capital and showing her fiancé the sights. The wedding was scheduled for tomorrow and everything was set up. Francis and Arthur were settling the details, making sure everything was alright while they allowed their children to spend time together and party with the group of friends they brought along. Antonio and Romano, Maria and Berwald, Ludwig and Feliciano, Gilbert and Erzsébet, and Mathias and Liv were all in attendance, along with a few more friends; all overjoyed to witness the happy couple's marriage.

Although, as excited as she was to be there, Madeline couldn't shake the sense of nausea that followed her around like a grey cloud over her head. She even had to decline one morning excursion due to her sudden loss of breakfast that required her to remain in the bathroom for a while. Francis was concerned for her, and even took her aside for a serious conversation.

"_Madeline, are you okay?"_

"_Yes, papa, I just feel a little sick and tired lately."_

"…_It's not too late, you know."_

_Stopping abruptly as she was bringing her third piece of toast to her mouth, Madeline looked to her father in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

"_To cancel. If you're feeling nervous over this, or getting cold feet, you don't have to get married right now. You can reschedule-"_

"_No!" Madeline set her snack down and regarded Francis seriously over the table. "Papa, I appreciate that you're concerned about me, but I couldn't be happier with Alfred. I think I'm just coming down with something, I mean; I even had to get my dress resized…maybe I'm due for my menses. You know how wicked my cramping and pain can be."_

_Francis nodded sagely, considering this as he gave her a small half smile. "If you're sure, pet. I just don't want to see you unhappy." _

_Getting up and walking around the table, Madeline wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled his cheek. "I'm sure."_

Tomorrow, she was determined to make it a beautiful day.

Retiring to bed, Madeline even made Alfred sleep in the other bed, much to his dismay.

"What! And why can't I sleep with you?"

"Because!" Madeline threw him an extra pillow and nestled further down into her bed. "It will be better for our wedding night! Now just go to bed!"

"But Maddie…" Alfred whined, covering half his face with the pillow and staring at her with puppy dog eyes. "I'll keep my hands to myself…please?"

"No! I'm not looking at you, Al, just deal with it. One night won't kill you."

"Yes it will…" Alfred mumbled and fell back against the pillows, grumbling up to the ceiling.

Madeline woke up in his embrace the next morning.

* * *

><p>"My Madeline….look at you, practically glowing in your wedding dress. You look so beautiful." Francis delicately pinned back a few curls for her half-back hair style, a few face framing curls brushing against her cheeks. Her makeup was modest, and she certainly didn't need any blush for how pink her face was.<p>

"I'm getting nervous," she giggled softly, reaching back to hold her father's hand. "You sure I look okay?"

Francis pulled her out of the chair and held her before him. "Dear, you are living art. Don't feel insecure; you're gorgeous."

"Thank you," she hugged him close for a few moments, inhaling his familiar cologne with a soft smile. "And I think I have everything…I have the dress, Maria's veil, and," Madeline ran her hand along her leg, feeling the dress but knowing the blue garter was secured there. "The garter. All I need-"

She was cut off by a faint knock on the door, which Francis walked over to answer. Much to their surprise, Arthur stood there, dressed in a black suit like Francis and shifting from foot to foot.

"'Allo, Arthur. Can we help you?"

"Y-yes, I'd like to speak with Madeline? If that's alright…"

When Francis glanced back and Madeline nodded, he allowed the man in and excused himself. "I'll let you two be…My sweet, I shall just be down the hall when you're done."

Arthur gave Madeline a soft smile as he looked at her, eyes surprisingly tender as he approached. "You look beautiful, love." He whispered, collecting her into a close embrace.

"Th-thank you…" she whispered in return, not knowing why her eyes were beginning to sting.

He must have been feeling the same, for he cleared his throat roughly after pulling back, turning his head away for a moment before looking to her with sparkling eyes. "If you don't mind, I have something for you."

"Something?" Madeline echoed dumbly, confused over what Arthur was talking about.

"Yes…I.." he blushed and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a flash of silver. Nestled in the palm of his hand was a medium length necklace, and on it was a pendant that resembled the face of a clock, with Roman numerals. It was beautiful.

"Mr. Kirkland…what's this?" Her voice was airy as she looked at the face of the clock, almost expecting to see the minute hand move.

It took a little bit for Arthur to speak, and when he did his voice was a little strained. "This is my late wife's. When she parted, I kept this with me…While I was courting her, our thing was time. Both of our lives were busy, and we were very punctual, so it was kind of a running joke. Before Alfred was born, she had to travel to Germany for her job…and so I gave her this necklace. I told her that time is an interesting thing. Whereas some moments appear to drag on forever, other moments are fleeting and gone too soon. While she was away from me, I told her I would await the hour until she was back in my arms, feeling as though a lifetime was going by… I also told her that if I were the controller of time, I would relive each moment with her, and lengthen each day as much as I could," Arthur blushed a little and scratched the back of his head. "She never took it off. When Alfred was born, he would always play with it and try to figure out the time… I was quite surprised when I discovered it sitting by her bedside table," his voice cracked, and Madeline wrapped her arms around him.

Madeline held Arthur close, eyes widening a bit when she felt how close and tightly he held her. His shoulders shook a little, but it didn't last long. When he pulled back, his back was straight once more, eyes relatively dry, and he tried to smooth his appearance. "Sorry about that, Madeline. As I was saying, this was my wife's, and I would love for you to wear it. You don't have to of course, don't feel like I'm forcing-"

He cut off when Madeline leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, taking the necklace from his hand and fastening it around her neck. "I'd love to, sir."

Arthur gave a small laugh that almost resembled a sob and helped her secure it around her neck. Watching her run her hands along the surface as it rested just below her collarbone, Arthur smiled once more and took her hand, holding it tight and patting the top with his other hand. "And please, Madeline…call me dad.

* * *

><p>It was absolutely gorgeous outside; the sun was shining high in the clear blue sky, accompanied by a few large, pure white, cottony clouds. A faint wind blew across the land, gently rustling the trees and leaves, as well as toying with people's hair. Inside the Chateau Laurier however, a group of people sat before the wedding officiant, a kind looking grey haired man, as well as a fidgety blonde.<p>

Alfred was shifting from foot to foot, adjusting his collar, and pulling at the cuffs of his tuxedo. It was an interesting sensation he felt; he felt a nervous giggle collecting in his chest, along with a surge of adrenaline and excitement. Everything was so new, so opulent in this room they called the Venetian Room with all the bronze marble columns and crystal chandeliers, it almost seemed surreal. He couldn't help but jump when he felt a hand come down lightly on his shoulder.

Looking behind him, Arthur stood close, a kind expression on his face including a slight smile. "Buck up, lad. Everything is going to be okay."

With a nod, Alfred gave a weak smile in return, adjusting his glasses as he waited. Madeline's bride's maids stood on the opposite side, Erzsébet and Maria, as Mathias and Gilbert stood by him. Madeline chose soft pinks and blues for the wedding, and the women were dressed in long, simple, baby pink dresses that flattered them immensely- as seen my their significant other's reaction. That was his Maddie; simple and always thinking of others. The room was decorated in elegant roses of course, white and red in even numbers.

He was just looking down to his feet then the click of the door sounded. Bringing his head up quickly, Alfred took a sharp inhale when he beheld his soon-to-be wife. Arm linked with her father, Madeline was positively radiating, her violet eyes shining across to him and a soft, timid smile on her face. A 'wow' was barely registered behind him as he raked his eyes over her- looking from her perfectly coiffed golden curls, to her gorgeous face, down to her sweetheart neckline that flattered her bust, her gentle flair of hips and the train. Alfred didn't realize he was holding his breath until he let out a rush of air when he saw her closer- and saw her necklace.

Memories and nostalgia hit him light a freight train, almost making his knees weak as he looked at the achingly familiar necklace. Of all the times he used to play with it, of the stories his mother would tell him… Alfred could feel his eyes begin to sting, but they only filled with water when he stared into Madeline's sparkling eyes.

When Madeline stood before him, Francis made a point in placing her hand in his, giving him a slow nod, and then taking his place. Eyes entirely on Madeline now, Alfred noticed the tears in her eyes; glasses unable to hide or mask the emotion in their depths.

"Hello, Madeline."

Madeline gave a watery giggle and held his hand tighter. "H-hello, Alfred."

Hands clasped, the two of them couldn't stop smiling as the man began in a low, gravelly voice. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Alfred Jones and Madeline Bonnefoy in matrimony- "

After his part was over, the rings were brought forward- Alfred's wedding band as well as Madeline's engagement ring. Alfred's was plain, but for Madeline it matched perfectly, encrusted with a few more diamonds. With trembling hands, Alfred took her ring in his hand and clasped her hand. In a steady voice, full of emotion, he began. "I, Alfred, give you, Madeline, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you. From the moment I met you, I knew that you were the one for me. You are the best thing that happened in my life, Maddie, and my life has been filled with light and happiness since we bumped into each other. Literally," Alfred gave a small laugh, which Madeline returned. "I love everything about you, from the sun kissed hair on your head to your delicate feet. Even though you snubbed me on our initial meetings, I love you all the more for it.

"I knew that you are a woman worth fighting for, a woman I need in my life that I cannot picture living without. You know how to get to me, you know my good points and my bad points. You know how to open my eyes, and show me just how foolish I am, and you do it with love. You are everything to me, Maddie, and you make me the happiest man alive. Thank you for being in my life.

"I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Madeline was crying openly by this point, and was thoroughly grateful that her makeup was waterproof. Her grip tightened on his hand for a moment before letting go to get his ring. When she spoke, most were surprised to hear how strong her voice was. "I, Madeline, give you, Alfred, this ring as an eternal symbol of my undying love and loyalty to you. When I first met you, I felt myself drawn closer, almost as if you were magnetic. After a while, I couldn't deny my feelings any longer, and it was the best decision in my life.

"I felt love in your arms, along with protection, faithfulness and trust. For…" Madeline's voice broke for a moment, and she gave a shy smile as tears ran unchecked down her face. "For the first time I felt like someone saw me for _me. _As if, finally, for the first time in my life I was _good enough_. No longer a go to girl for an intermission; you looked _at_ me, not _through_ me. You appreciate me, respect me, and you have since the moment I met you. It almost feels surreal, like this is just a dream, but then I reach out, and you're real. _This_ is _real_," she looked around her for a moment before her eyes fell back on him, love practically overflowing from her every pore. "This is actually happening, and we're together. I love you, Alfred, and I always will."

"I love you too, Maddie. _Forever_." Alfred whispered out brokenly, hands tight on hers, smile shaking as his emotions were taking hold.

With a small laugh, Madeline reached up and touched his face, whispering, "forever and for always."

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The words had barely escaped the older man's lips before Alfred pulled Madeline close, one hand cradling her cheek as the other held her close against him at her lower back. Madeline had wrapped her arms around his neck, and they laughed happily against each other as their friends applauded. A few were teary eyed, Gilbert was playfully rolling his eyes at the display, and Francis was openly weeping. In fact, before Arthur turned away, one lone tear could be seen running down his face.

After they signed the papers, Gilbert and Erzsébet acting as witnesses, the party was led out of the room to the grounds of the hotel to take pictures. The majority of them were strictly Alfred and Madeline, but there were a plethora of silly group pictures, including one where Madeline was leaning forward, kissing Arthur's cheek which had a faint blush. Much to everyone's delight and entertainment, the father's even took a few pictures together and Francis managed to make Arthur smile for one.

However, the poignant one would have to be the one of Arthur and Alfred that they took later that night. The picture was of just the two of them, hugging each other tightly and seemed nearly inseparable.

* * *

><p>The reception was lovely, full of well wishes, good food and good company. Gilbert had already made a tipsy speech to the happy couple, somewhat embarrassing Alfred with his stories before his girlfriend dragged him off the stage. Francis was the next one to take to the stage, clearing his throat and smiling easily over to the couple.<p>

"_Bonjour, _everyone! I'm the bride's father, in case you didn't know, and I just have to say a few words. My dearest Madeline has been like a ray of warm sunlight on my soul from the day she was born. Now, she begins a new life, and there will be another man to whom she will turn to for love and protection... I could not have chosen a better man for my little Madeline, myself. But, _mon ange,_ I want you to know your papa will always be there for you. As Joseph Addison said, 'certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express.' Alfred, thank you for being there for her, and I am more than pleased to have you part of the family. Cheers!"

Everyone applauded, which turned into a loud cheer when Madeline was the one who kissed Alfred quickly on the lips. The room fell silent however when the next person took to the floor. Madeline felt her heart stutter while for Alfred it completely stopped. Arthur stood beneath the soft lights, looking a little flushed.

Brushing his hair back, his shallow intake of breath was picked up by the microphone before he spoke. "Hello everyone. I'm Arthur Kirkland, Alfred's father...but you probably know that." He chuckled nervously and looked to his feet. "We're here to celebrate the union between these two young lovers...And I," Arthur looked up at that moment, right into Alfred's eyes, "couldn't be any happier. You see, Alfred had always been a reckless young lad, always getting himself into trouble or hurt. I had to always be on my toes around him, making sure he didn't do anything that would harm him..."

Arthur's expression turned sad for a moment, as though he was recalling something that upset him. "But he never did. In fact, he surpassed all my wildest dreams. Alfred came to America and thrived all on his own, no longer needing any help. He grew up to be a strong, honourable, and successful young man with a successful career. Here he met this wonderful, captivating young lady. Each complement the other beautifully, and I couldn't ask for a better daughter-in-law."

Madeline felt Alfred's hand tighten around hers.

"Basically...what I want to say is, Madeline, I'm thrilled to have you part of the family, and may we have a long, blissful time together as a family. Alfred..." Arthur stared into his eyes, and Alfred stopped breathing. "To quote Walter Schirra, 'you don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.' Son, I'm so proud of you." Arthur smiled and walked off the stage, moving towards the table where Francis sat, giving a faint smile when the Frenchman rested his hand on his shoulder. If anyone had looked intently, much like how Alfred was doing, they would have seen the wet sparkle in the corner of his eyes.

As firm as his hold was on her hand, Madeline didn't complain.

* * *

><p>When the dinner was completed, people started to move towards the dance floor, standing in a wide circle as Francis led Madeline to the center for their father-daughter dance. He held her close, swaying along which the music as he whispered French words of love and praise into her ear, rubbing her back as she cried happily against him.<p>

Alfred took that moment to walk over to Arthur who was far off to the side, staring him down as he approached. He winced a little as he watched the emotions play over his face- happiness, fear, dread, sadness, but he pressed on. Before Arthur had a chance to react, Alfred grabbed his hand and led him away from the group, to an area where they could have privacy. The moment they were out of sight, he collected Arthur into a close embrace, leaning down until his mouth was by his ear so he couldn't miss what he said.

"I love you, dad."

It started slowly; first Arthur was motionless, barely breathing. Then, Alfred could feel a slight tremor running through his body, and before he knew it, his hands were holding his back tightly as faint sobs could be heard and felt against him. Alfred could hear him whispering something, but he couldn't make out what was being said, so he pulled back and looked into his tear stained face. "What was that?"

"I love you too... I'm so sorry, Alfred…for _everything_. I'm sorry for being so hard on you, I'm sorry for not being there with you, or for your mother…" His voice broke mentioning her once again, and all he could think of was her happy face. "I know that lost time is never found again, but I hoped...that you would…"

"Dad…I know that after all this time, wounds are still a little raw and have yet to heal, but there are some that have healed over. I was angry with you, hell, I'm still pissed, but you're my father. I love you, and I always have. I was confused and hurt, but…I feel that we can overcome it if we both want to try-"

"I want to try! I want to be in your life, son."

"And I want you in my life. I want you in my family's life, and I want us to have many family gatherings. I want you to be there when my child is born, and I want your advice again."

"I've only ever wanted the best for you, my boy…"

"I know. I know now."

Arthur gave a rough laugh and cleared his throat, standing upright and proper once more. He dried his eyes with his hand, clapped Alfred on the back and began to lead them back to the room. "But enough crying! You have a wife in there who is need of her first dance with her husband."

"You sure-"

"We can finish this another time, Alfred. We have the rest of our lives before us."

The music began to change to another slow song, and the lighting dimmed a little more, indicating that Francis was finished. Alfred looked to his father, and with a smile he gave him a proper salute before making his way over to his bride.

Once more Francis gave him Madeline's hand, excusing himself from the floor to stand beside Arthur again. At the back of his mind, Alfred laughed over how the two slowly began to tolerate each other, even though they bickered back and forth incessantly. But that thought was quickly erased from his mind when he felt Madeline's body close to his; her faint perfume caressing his senses, and her warm hands cupping his neck. Moving his hands to hold her back, Alfred rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, beginning to softly sway to the music.

"How are you, Mrs. Jones?"

"Overjoyed. I still can't believe that this is real. I keep on thinking I'm going to wake up, back in my old apartment alone, and have to get ready for work."

Alfred opened his eyes and pulled back a little, staring down into her sparkling eyes. "I'm here, Maddie. I'm real, and I'm not going anywhere. See?" Alfred took her hand and brought one down to place over his chest. "I'm tangible. This ring? It's also real. Everything is how it should be, my love. And," he tipped her chin up to take her lips for a sweet kiss, "this certainly is not a dream. You belong with me, and I with you. Nothing can take that away from us, Maddie, not even dreams. When you wake up tomorrow morning, I will be right there beside you, and I will be for the rest of our lives."

"Promise?"

Running his hand over the face of her necklace, Alfred smiled tenderly before looking back up into her violet eyes. "As long as time continues on; with each passing minute and hour, I will love you more and more. I promise you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Hello! Apologies for the wait! Actually, I would have posted last night, but it wouldn't let me :( Hope this chapter was enjoyable!  
>I have to say thank you for all the lovely reviews. They mean so much to me and I cannot thank you enough. Also don't worry, I'm not the type to abandon a story just because I don't have X amount of reviews :)<p> 


	17. Chapter 17: Wedding Night and Discovery

It was long passed nightfall when Alfred and Madeline retired into their suite after all of the festivities. Arthur and Francis had formed a heartwarming camaraderie during the celebration and helped the happy couple escape while they cleaned up, bickering lightly the entire time.

Alfred was more than pleased with this, and insisted that he carried Madeline into their bedroom in the old-fashioned way (which she didn't mind of course, not with how tenderly he cradled her against him). With a kick to the door it clicked shut and Alfred made sure it locked behind him before moving further into the room.

"Looks like someone set the room up for us..." he whispered down to her while taking in the view.

The room was exquisitely furnished and spacious; perfect for moving around freely and with large windows overlooking the surrounding area. Their luggage was at the foot of the bed and on the bed were two roses- one white and the other red, surrounded with matching petals.

Madeline giggled at the sight. "Complete with roses."

"I couldn't forget them like I did last time," he cooed and rubbed their noses together, earning another giggle from her. "I love you, you know that?"

Sobering, Madeline looked deep into his eyes and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "I love you too, Al, very much."

Placing her back down on the ground tenderly, Alfred bent down to kiss her, but Madeline noticed lights outside of their window and ran over, leaving Alfred to stare incredulously at her back. "Hey!"

"Look, Alfred! Isn't it beautiful outside? Look at all of the- hey!"

Madeline gasped out as Alfred grabbed her wrists and pressed them on either side of the window, whispering into her hear to grab the curtains. "Hold on tight, baby..." his hot breath tickled along the nape of her neck as his hands left her to travel along her body.

Moving down her arms, Alfred travelled her sides, the beading and pleats giving an interesting sensation, before venturing back upwards to cup her chest. Coaxed on by her adorable keening, he started to knead the flesh while mouthing words of love against her neck and below her ear.

"You're so beautiful, Maddie..." he gasped into her ear from the feeling of her derriere pushing back against him. "I've held out for a while and I can't wait anymore. I need to feel more of you."

"Then go ahead and feel me, Al. Do what you want," came her breathy reply.

With a smirk Alfred's fingers worked quickly to unfasten her dress, but when it was halfway open Madeline stopped him.

"No...no, how about we keep it on?"

That made him pause. "Keep it on? But it could get ruined..."

"I'm only getting married once, and it's not like I'm going to need this dress again so let's make the best of it." Madeline's voice grew husky and lust roughened when she reached back to take his hand and place it beneath her gaping bodice. Her breasts were so sensitive and she found his touches both soothing and exciting. "Wouldn't you like that? Taking me nice and hard in my wedding dress as you wear your tuxedo? The smell of our lovemaking sticking to the fabric, so every time we look at the clothes in the back of the closet we can remember making wild love on our wedding night?"

Madeline looked over her shoulder and grinned upon seeing his darkened eyes, the sky blue much more akin to turbulent oceans. She could feel his hand slowly massaging her skin and when he plucked a nipple she broke off into a gasp. Alfred laughed, "I've always loved how you think, baby. You want to be fucked while wearing our wedding clothes, you got it."

Twisting her around, Alfred grabbed Madeline by the waist and picked her up only to throw her back down on the bed, biting his lip as he watched her breasts bounce from the impact. While Madeline moved the roses out of the way, he placed once knee on the bed before slowly crawling onto it from the end, and as he made his way forward he placed a hand on her ankle. Working upward, his fingers smoothed along her soft peach like skin from the curve of her calf to the dip behind her knee, and up towards her milky white thighs. His other hand joined in on her leg, effectively pushing them apart as he moved higher; all the while staring into Madeline's reddened face.

Alfred was sure that his expression was much like hers- breathless, needy, and almost nervous. It was a little odd to feel that way, especially since this isn't their first time, but Alfred felt as though he was right back at the beginning with her. His hands shook slightly as they ghosted over her thighs until they arrived at her hips. Pushing the skirt up to collect around his waist, Alfred exhaled as he brought her underwear down and stared at the juncture of her legs. To his surprise, Madeline had placed a delicate hand there in semblance of cover.

"What are you doing, Maddie?" he cooed.

"Stop staring..."

His face softened while he smiled down at her endearing and embarrassed face that she turned away from him. Taking hold of her hand, feeling sparks shoot up his arm as his fingers brushed along her lips, Alfred placed a lingering kiss in the center of her palm before bending over her body. "I can't help but stare at you, Madeline. Whenever I'm around you it feels like I'm drawn in by some gravitational force. All my strength leaves me and I just have to be near you. I can't keep my eyes off of you."

Watching Alfred's face change from a gentle smile to one much more goofy, Madeline lifted an eyebrow in confusion before Alfred started. "You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you..." he sang slightly off key and traced her now smiling lips before moving lower. "You'd be like Heaven to touch. I wanna hold you so much." He looked up at her over his glasses as he ran a finger along her slit, moving up to circle around her bud. Madeline's laughter turned into a quiet moan and she lifted her hips up to press against his hand for more.

"At long last love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you..." Alfred chuckled and pressed harder against her pleasure spot, enjoying her reactions.

"A-are you finished yet? God, I want-"

"I love you baby!" Alfred sang a little louder before seeing her fierce look and sheepishly reverted back to a whisper. "And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby, to warm a lonely night." While his hand was rubbing against her incessantly, Alfred moved his free hand up to pay attention to her breasts once more, pinching and pulling at the tip before kneading it.

"_Alfred!" _Madeline tried to scold, but her mirth and pleasure made it ring hollow. She was struggling beneath his hands, trying to keep quiet but failing horribly.

"Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you stay, and let me love you, baby." Alfred's voice was breathless as he spoke the line more than sang it due to the fact he had inserted his middle finger inside of her and was slowly thrusting inside of her hot sheath. His eyelids lowered as Madeline gasped and bit her lower lip, covering his hand with her own as she continued to stare at him. Finding one finger wasn't enough, Alfred pulled out and teased her entrance before inserting two fingers this time and moved them in a beckoning motion.

"Let me love you..."

Madeline swore sharply in French and wrapped her legs around him, her hands flying to his collar to pull him close and crash their lips together. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" she ground out against him, her tongue licking along his lower lip.

"You love me," came his rebuttal.

That she did...almost dizzyingly so.

"I do, now hurry up and get _in_ me before I go crazy."

Alfred flashed his cocky smirk. "Yes ma'am."

The drag of his zipper was loud in the room, accompanied only by the smacking of their kisses and deep laboured breaths as their bodies heated up. Soon enough Alfred slid easily inside of her, her arousal easing the way perfectly as her body accepted and closed around his length.

"Fuck, Maddie...you're so tight," he gasped. As he pulled out to slam back home, Alfred felt an idea forming which he quickly acted upon.

"Wha-"

Madeline's breath hitched when Alfred collected her into his arms, and accepted his manhandling until he sat on the edge of the bed while she sat on his lap, her dress cascading around them and pooling on the floor.

"This is our wedding night, and I want to take it nice and slow," he murmured while reaching behind him for the white rose. Delicately he tucked the flower behind her ear and reached up for all of her numerous pins and clips to let the rest of her curls fall that hadn't already. Alfred made a pleasured sound as he dropped the pins and took a fist full of hair and buried his face in the silky texture and sweet scent. "God, you have beautiful hair."

During this, Madeline was clenching around his shaft that was still deeply embedded inside of her, moaning as his nails ran along her scalp and his breath blew over her skin. Alfred was still far enough back on the bed so that her knees could straddle his thighs and using this to her advantage, Madeline pushed up slowly and dropped back down, earning a surprised groan from the man below her.

"Th-thank you," she whispered while moving upwards once again.

After a few more breaths, Alfred finally clued in and moved back to take Madeline's lips for another kiss, this time keeping contact as he helped her bounce. Their lovemaking lasted a while with their slow pace, and even as the need curled in their stomach and sweat made their skin gleam they continued their thorough and tender movements. Alfred was able to hear every slow inhale, feel her heartbeat, and listen to what movement caused what pitch as she moaned. Madeline focused on the slow drag of his calloused fingers as they moved over her, how his voice rose in pitch when he was closer to orgasm, and how utterly _perfect _he was.

When they both came they held each other close and swallowed the other's cries. Their lips were swollen from their bruising kisses, and Madeline's neck was covered in love bites, along with areas on her chest. As he shuddered against her, his hand travelled lower and pressed against her stomach, and even through his lust clouded mind he registered the firmness he felt there.

As he held her soft, panting body against him, Alfred frowned as he ran a hand along her back. Firm. He knew his wife's body and her habits, so he knew that she didn't have cause for added weight (not that he'd mind of course).

"Maddie...?" Alfred waited until she hummed in question. "When did you last have your menses?"

Madeline opened her mouth but found herself closing it a few seconds afterwards. When _was_ the last time she had her period? "Um...Wow, I'm not sure." She pulled back to look at Alfred's serious face in confusion, but then looked to his hand. "You- you don't think..."

"Have you been feeling sick at all? Anything different? Don't forget just the other day when you were throwing up-"

She covered her mouth with her hand after a quiet gasp. "That's right! I thought it was just food poisoning! And my breasts have been a little sore...and I..." Madeline covered her stomach with her hands, sliding over Alfred's hand that had remained there. "It can't be."

"We haven't always been careful, Maddie. There have been a few times we haven't used protection." Alfred's voice shook with excitement, and Madeline saw that his eyes were a little wet. "Baby, I think you're pregnant."

The two of them hugged each other close while their laughter quickly turned into tears of happiness.

"N-now, we shouldn't get too worked up, just in case." Madeline wiped beneath her eyes and coughed softly.

"We'll look into it tomorrow, first thing when the stores open. We'll go without telling anyone, buy a home pregnancy test, and bring it back to see. Then I shall pamper you like you've never been pampered before!" Alfred giggled cutely as he brought them back against the pillows and curled close against his wife.

Sure enough, the moment Alfred woke up (surprisingly before Madeline) he gently peeled the dress from her sleepy, protesting body and carried her into the shower with him. After a short intimate shower of exploring each other (where she found Alfred to be much more tender than usual), they dressed and left the building.

Their shopping was short, most of the time spent getting there and going back to their suite. Madeline ran to the bathroom and followed the instructions perfectly to lessen the chance of it misreading (they bought three tests, just in case).

Alfred stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, watching Madeline the entire time while trying to calm his body down. His heart beat out of control and his lungs laboured as though he just ran a marathon, yet Madeline appeared to be calm as she waited for the result.

Unable to wait much longer or be told the result, Alfred closed the distance between them and they both hovered over the device in her hands, waiting for the word they wanted to read.

A minute ticked by, and then another, but the couple barely blinked in wait. Finally a word appeared.

_Pregnant_.

Madeline felt her legs weaken and she almost dropped the test as she screamed in excitement along with Alfred who was already reaching for her. He collected her close against him and cradled her head against his chest, as he chanted, "you're pregnant!" like a mantra.

Alfred allowed her to pull back when she muffled something against him, and when he felt his heart swell as he took in her laughing and glowing face.

"We're going to have a baby!"


End file.
